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Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1090132
www.mamalaskitchen.com Lombard of the NHB notes that con- sumers are also looking for honeys that are organic, raw, or minimally processed. "The biggest trend is this idea that people want to have an ingredient they feel good about, and that they know where it comes from, and they know how it's produced," she says. "You don't need a centrifuge to create honey. You can just open a bee box and see a honeycomb." Interestingly, the honeycomb itself has been trending as an interesting com- ponent of a cheese tray or a dessert, for example. "We're seeing a lot of honeycomb being used, which is naturally produced right from the bee and totally edible, and it makes a very beautiful presentation," says Lombard. Honey at the Bar Another growing use for local honeys is in cocktails and spirits. Barry Gambold, gen- eral manager of Hotel Indigo-Baton Rouge, in Louisiana, has transformed an area of the hotel's rooftop to an apiary, which produces honey for use in specialty cocktails at the hotel bar and as gifts for VIP guests. "The product is much better when you get it right out of the hive," he says. The hives produce about eight gallons of honey per year, collected in four harvests of about two gallons each. It's enough for making some specialty cocktails at the bar and for bottling as gifts, but not enough to "It is made from nectar collected from our Paso Robles olive and lavender farm, which gives it a natural aroma and f la- vor," the company said in a statement. The company's website also touts the product's health benefits, and the retention of heathy enzymes that it says would be lost through pasteurization. Many honey farmers also infuse their honeys with on-trend f lavors. Andrew's Honey, for example, offers several varieties of infused honey, including ginger, sea salt, matcha, turmeric, vanilla, and chili peppers. In fact, hot honey infused with peppers has been trending. The winner of the 2018 Summer Fancy Food Show's Front Burner Foodservice Pitch Competition was Mike's Hot Honey, which is made using a hot chili pepper grown in Brazil and wildf lower honey from New York. "Consumers are very motivated to purchase local, properly made raw honey for many reasons," says Lisa Ptaszenski of CP Farms. "Properly made honey is like properly made [extra virgin] olive oil—it is loaded with health benefits. If you buy honey that is not produced properly, just like EVOO, you will not receive the health benefits you are seeking." Summer Fancy Food Show Booth #4221 44 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com category education