How is comb honey eaten/served?

590317 How is comb honey eaten/served? Fri Jan 23 18:28:35 -0800 2009 110 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 4352555 I have never seen comb honey served in any restaurant, so I'm curious how it is supposed to be served and eaten. Is it an appetizer, meant to be eaten with knife and fork? Is a chunk of it supposed to sit in your hot tea? I have no idea or frame of reference, please help. Fri Jan 23 18:28:35 -0800 2009 56216 stratford 1 4352568 We had it at Salt Tasting Room in Vancouver (check their website). You pick meats, cheeses and "condiments" one of which was honeycomb. It was paired with a pretty strong cheese and it was wonderful. We've bought it a couple of times since in specialty markets and served with cheese. It's so incredibly delicious and looks so interesting and is just fun to eat. I'll be interested to see if others eat it in different ways. Fri Jan 23 18:32:28 -0800 2009 4352555 131001 c oliver 1 4352714 Pull it out of the jar from the beekeeper, cut off a chunk, drizzle the honey onto toast or into tea and then just pop it in your mouth. Fri Jan 23 19:57:02 -0800 2009 4352555 152043 TampaAurora 1 4352728 I've had it served on a cheese plate. Fri Jan 23 20:06:09 -0800 2009 4352555 74905 jaykayen 1 4352738 When I was growing up, Mom would just cut up pieces for us to eat. Yummy! Fri Jan 23 20:13:42 -0800 2009 4352555 237929 tracylee 1 4352798 Yep, I agree. Just think of it as a chewy candy. Have not had it in years as no supply in my little hick town. Fri Jan 23 20:52:41 -0800 2009 4352555 251167 billieboy 1 4353027 Slice off a piece and spread on warm toast, or eat and chew like candy. Sat Jan 24 01:34:28 -0800 2009 4352555 224238 Caralien 2 4359153 YES! Another flood of childhood memory... Toast or biscuit, either will do nicely. Around the end of WW2, we had a local beekeeper who would deliver honey in or out of the comb. If you bought the comb, it was delivered in the wooden frame the bees had made it in, and Mom would just carve out a chunk and put it into a bowl for the table. I remember the table, and that kitchen, and how much more interesting honey was served that way. Mon Jan 26 12:20:25 -0800 2009 4353027 11478 Will Owen 1 4354089 What a great question! In my superwalmart they have cute, fat jars of honey in the Mexican Food aisle (I think they call it ethnic) that I always pick up and look at but never buy. There is a hunk of honeycomb suspended towards the bottom of each jar. My husband told me to buy it one time because I always just pick them up and stare. I told him I didn't want them to lose their magic-if we got one and tasted it and it was like eating a corn cob I would really be sad. They are under $3. Either the jar, or the honey is very dark. Sat Jan 24 12:48:38 -0800 2009 4352555 110426 Boccone Dolce 2 4355365 It's like eating chewy wax, at least to me. Some people chew and chew and then spit it out, that's what my mother told me to do if I didn't like it, other people swallow it. Sun Jan 25 04:59:39 -0800 2009 4354089 224081 BamiaWruz 3 4355588 I couldn't disagree more so I'm betting it's what condition the honeycomb is in. The times I've been able to find it, it's comes in a little round, plastic container with a fitted lid. The honey comb fits in that quite tightly. And it's never refrigerated --- or so I was told by one of the people I bought it from. It spread on cheese, bread, etc. very smoothly and is nothing like "chewing wax." It's one of those special things I'm always keeping an eye out for and should probably look to order online. It's SO delish. Sun Jan 25 07:54:26 -0800 2009 4355365 131001 c oliver 4 4357544 Then it's just me but I've had it growing up, and purchased it from organic stores and it was always the same, as Louise said it's like chewing flavour out of gum. But I found the more you chew the tougher it gets, it doesn't melt. Maybe I'll seek some out and give it another chance. Sun Jan 25 21:26:29 -0800 2009 4355588 224081 BamiaWruz 5 4357550 Now I AM curious. Maybe it's some kind of "fancy food" product/process. I've only had it once in a restaurant and twice I've bought it as described. And all three times, it was just a smooth, delicious food. Maybe if/when I find it again, I'll ask the purveyor what the hey. Sun Jan 25 21:29:42 -0800 2009 4357544 131001 c oliver 5 4359258 I'd have thought it might soften a little bit, however a quick side trip to wiki reveals that the melting point of beeswax is 144 to 147 °F, so it makes sense it wouldn't melt in your mouth. Mon Jan 26 12:45:51 -0800 2009 4357544 13445 Louise 5 4360154 bamia, i've had the same experience as you: the honeycomb is waxy, and it loses the honey when you suck on it in your mouth for a while, then you chew it some more, and spit out the wax. i have no desire to eat the wax. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeycomb Mon Jan 26 17:18:13 -0800 2009 4357544 105717 alkapal 6 4361187 Definitely tasted like wax lips or whatever to me, maybe if you heat it first it would spread. Tue Jan 27 04:45:49 -0800 2009 4360154 11097 coll 3 4355877 I used to chew pieces of it til I'd sucked out all the honey, then spit out the wax. Sort of like chewing the flavor out of gum. Sun Jan 25 09:55:40 -0800 2009 4355365 13445 Louise 4 4359325 That's how I remember eating it when I was younger. Use to buy it at the local apple farm, but I don't know the source of the comb. The wax wasn't that thick/heavy so it's possible that it was spreadable, just never tried to eat it that way. Mon Jan 26 13:02:02 -0800 2009 4355877 14495 viperlush 5 4360283 Just chew the the comb. There is no point in spreading it or mixing it because it is indigestible. Chew and suck like gum. There is no essential flavor to the wax, as the honey is dominant. But it is a good chew! Mon Jan 26 17:56:39 -0800 2009 4359325 56131 jayt90 6 4360295 Obviously it depends on the comb. What I and some others have had is totally edible and spreadable. Mon Jan 26 18:00:46 -0800 2009 4360283 131001 c oliver 7 4360334 Honeycomb is beeswax, as in candles. I would be surprised if any type of wax was spreadable, or mixable, or digestible.. Mon Jan 26 18:12:36 -0800 2009 4360295 56131 jayt90 7 4360335 Absolutely. I don't buy the comb to spit it out :) (grin) It's delicious. c oliver, do fake combs exist that may actually be wax? I have never tasted a wax like honey comb. Mon Jan 26 18:12:46 -0800 2009 4360295 36312 HillJ 8 4360361 Boy (girl?), I don't know about "fake combs." But I think jayt90 might consider taking a softer approach. I've eaten/bought honeycomb three times in the last year and spead it on bread and cheese. It's a memorable taste sensation and by that I mean wonderfully memorable. I love it and, while not cheap, will continue to buy it and spread it like butter or a soft cheese. Hillj, let's form a little club, ok? Mon Jan 26 18:20:23 -0800 2009 4360335 131001 c oliver 9 4360391 Comb club, lol! Mon Jan 26 18:29:23 -0800 2009 4360361 36312 HillJ 9 4360394 A little bit won't hurt , but it is expelled rather than digested. In my experience in the honey business, almost all of the beeswax (from the combs) was separated from the honey and sent in blocks to candle makers. A very small amount of perfect appearing combs were held back for sale, at much higher prices. Mon Jan 26 18:30:49 -0800 2009 4360361 56131 jayt90 10 4360435 I understood that it melts in the digestive tract and is therefore digested. But who cares? There are plenty of things that just "pass through." Mon Jan 26 18:41:51 -0800 2009 4360394 131001 c oliver 11 4360476 As Wiki points out, the melting temperature is around 145 F http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeswax Mon Jan 26 18:59:16 -0800 2009 4360435 56131 jayt90 12 4360488 So is steak digestible? What about nuts? Etc. Etc. Things don't have to melt to be digestible. Holey moley :) Mon Jan 26 19:02:02 -0800 2009 4360476 131001 c oliver 13 4360522 okay c-0, this club has to have rules ;) Mon Jan 26 19:14:00 -0800 2009 4360488 36312 HillJ 14 4360530 Oh dang, I hate rules. Can't we just have cute hats or something? What are the rules???? Mon Jan 26 19:15:33 -0800 2009 4360522 131001 c oliver 15 4360609 Rule 1: you must be willing to eat/enjoy the honey comb. Rute 2: Cute hats or something...of course! Rute 3: nah, le'ts keep it simple-eat the honey comb with great bread & cheese! Simple :) Mon Jan 26 19:45:00 -0800 2009 4360530 36312 HillJ 16 4361537 My family has been keeping bees for generations, and we've got 11 active hives right now, and I've never had wax that was spreadable and edible on toast at room temp, even on hot summer days. Usually, we just break off chunks before putting the wax in the centrifuge. We let the chunks sit in bowls or jars, breaking off bits to chew and using the honey as it drains. But this spreadable honeycomb? I think this might be a particular kind if it can be spread at room temperature...maybe from a very early harvest, before ripening is complete? Or a particular kind of bee/nectar that requires less structured wax? I'd be interested to know what type of honey this is. Can you tell us what's on the packaging? Tue Jan 27 07:35:50 -0800 2009 4360609 201585 RosemaryHoney 17 4361555 RosemaryH, perhaps you misunderstood me. I haven't bought honey with a suspended comb that was already spreadable or read spreadable on the jar/label. I have been purchasing honey (all forms, all flavors) from the Savannah Bee Co. for years. In the case of the comb suspended in their honey, I use a knife to cut away a nice piece and spread it (along with the honey) on a delicious slice of toasted honey wheat bread (usually from what I've baked during the week) along with a nice slice of room temp white cheddar and enjoy. Perhaps Savannah Bee Co. can provide you with greater information; one beekeeper to another. I'm just a happy customer encouraging the "CH masses" to enjoy the comb. Tue Jan 27 07:42:01 -0800 2009 4361537 36312 HillJ 18 4366236 I can second the Savannah Bee Co. recommendation. A jar of their honey was one of two souvenirs I brought back with me - the other was a book. A friend who goes to SCAD 'might' have then confiscated for his own enjoyment. Wed Jan 28 12:04:23 -0800 2009 4361555 152043 TampaAurora 19 4366254 Isn't their honey just the best! I'm going to place an order myself later today. Today's bread baking lunch was enhanced by a nice drizzle of SBCo. honey (orange blossom) and bue cheese. Wed Jan 28 12:10:12 -0800 2009 4366236 36312 HillJ 20 4369290 I'm having more fun with Eden's Nectar - local raw honey here in the Tampa Bay Area. I'm addicted to their seasonal honey - especially the Winter variety. I'm never without at least one bear in my pantry. Maybe one day I'll grow up into a real jar! http://www.edensnectar.com/ Thu Jan 29 09:45:27 -0800 2009 4366254 152043 TampaAurora 21 4369442 TampaA, thanks for sharing the link! Thu Jan 29 10:18:08 -0800 2009 4369290 36312 HillJ 2 4355727 I'm w/ your husband. You need to buy one and try it. Honey never loses it's magic! my SO is a serious honey man. I'm not as crazy as he is but we do have more than 100 types of honey in the "Honey Section" of our pantry. It's okay though because honey is the only food which NEVER goes bad. If the honey is very dark, it's because of the flowers that went into it's making. Color and flavor vary wildly. If it's really intense, just eat it slow. It lasts forever, literally. But you have to try it, and yes the comb is good. Think, prize in the cracker jacks. Sun Jan 25 08:53:10 -0800 2009 4354089 136906 lucygoosey 3 4355847 I want your pantry. My pantry is barely big enough for 100 of anything. Having two honey types is my limit. Sun Jan 25 09:41:07 -0800 2009 4355727 152043 TampaAurora 1 4359771 http://www.savannahbee.com/product/21/8 The Savannah Bee Co. offers a delicious comb honey. I've been saving the last bit of my current jar for a piece of honeywheat bread (which I'm proofing on Wed). A nice sharp white cheddar alongside and I call that lunch! Mon Jan 26 15:13:51 -0800 2009 4352555 36312 HillJ 2 4359786 Ah, thanks. Here's another link and the pix is just like what I've bought. http://www.savorique.com/p-469-red-bee-comb-honey.aspx Mon Jan 26 15:21:13 -0800 2009 4359771 131001 c oliver 3 4359832 Thank you c oliver. I'm going to give it a try next time I place a honey order. Mon Jan 26 15:37:33 -0800 2009 4359786 36312 HillJ 4 4359999 I may also. But, do know, that I don't know this company. Just googled to find a pix. Mon Jan 26 16:33:14 -0800 2009 4359832 131001 c oliver 5 4360167 c, o-Savannah Honey Co. has their own version of a square/round comb. I was unclear with you. I plan to order from them. Trusted, award-winning honey I haven't shopped anywhere else for years. Oh and the honey lip tin is a winter friend! Mon Jan 26 17:23:31 -0800 2009 4359999 36312 HillJ 3 4360159 woowee: savorique charges $19 for a 12 ounce honeycomb. that's some rich honey! Mon Jan 26 17:20:08 -0800 2009 4359786 105717 alkapal 4 4360170 ...and a bargain when compared to Savannah Bee Co....but I'm devoted. Mon Jan 26 17:24:37 -0800 2009 4360159 36312 HillJ 5 4360181 i thought the savannah was $15 for 12 oz. (which looks like less comb and more actual honey, too.) the best honey i've had was a wild chestnut honey. i grew up on orange blossom honey. that reminds me, i need to get some honey out of the cabinet and use it. Mon Jan 26 17:27:42 -0800 2009 4360170 105717 alkapal 6 4360215 Comb suspended in honey is $15; comb infused is $24.00 for a square or round case. http://www.savannahbee.com/category/14 Have you tried chestnut honey with date nut bread and greek yogurt. To die for! Mon Jan 26 17:37:22 -0800 2009 4360181 36312 HillJ 7 4360358 I'm headed to Walmart this weekend. I'm getting that $3 honey and will report back. Mon Jan 26 18:19:31 -0800 2009 4360215 110426 Boccone Dolce 8 4360388 For $3.00 you're either going to be delighted by an inexpensive food find or deeply disappointed by cheap eats. Either way, happy shopping & pls report back! Mon Jan 26 18:28:04 -0800 2009 4360358 36312 HillJ 9 4382143 http://www.padillausa.com/products/viktor.html This is what we ended up with. Actual cost = $4.88 (Pretty sure it went up, I swear the price started with a 3 before!) We both tasted a nibble. It's edible, but sort of a tiny bit waxy. Some of the floaty pieces I tasted were melty and good, but the comb part that I actually cut, was chewed and chewed and chewed and it didn't soften. Mr Dolce liked it and asked for more. Mon Feb 02 19:02:08 -0800 2009 4360388 110426 Boccone Dolce 10 4382390 BocconD-how about trying the honey comb with honey drizzle on a warmed piece of thick wheat bread and a slice of cheese? Spread the comb with honey into the bread while warm, top with your fav cheese and enjoy. Mon Feb 02 20:28:31 -0800 2009 4382143 36312 HillJ 8 4360395 bd -- clover honey for $3 is good, too. say "hey" to the honey bear for me! https://premiergourmet.com/store/products/Doan's-Clover-Honey-Bear.html ;-). i'm sure there was honey in this car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLis6jWc05M here's a pint of "comb honey" for $9. http://www.ebeehoney.com/24ozBearPacks.html Mon Jan 26 18:31:02 -0800 2009 4360358 105717 alkapal 9 4361165 ebeehoney is a really informative link, reasonable prices too. Tue Jan 27 04:24:38 -0800 2009 4360395 56131 jayt90 6 4360712 chestnut honey is an acquired taste. Mon Jan 26 20:32:24 -0800 2009 4360181 74905 jaykayen 7 4361040 jaykayen, this was english wild chestnut honey (or french?) and seemed really complex and subtly spicy. it was served at the national gallery of art's little "garden cafe", when the "english" menu was the theme. accompanied by stilton and walnut halves. scrum-dilly-icious! it was not real datrk, nor bitter -- as some of the online descriptions of chestnut honey. i know there is incredible variation due to locale -- that's the beauty of honey! i found some spanish honeys on sale, while looking up the honey, fyi: http://www.hotpaella.com/Departments/Spanish-Food/Honey.aspx?utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=PPC&utm_term=chestnut%20honey&utm_content=2337544693&utm_campaign=Honey&Network=Search&SiteTarget=&guid=76ccbf2d-8af0-dc11-a3d1-000f1f8c3bca&gclid=CKGt09CrrpgCFQEpGgod3QL9Ug another sale: http://www.artisansweets.com/category/browse-all-honeys Tue Jan 27 00:30:56 -0800 2009 4360712 105717 alkapal 4 4361208 try a Mexican or Middle Eastern store; the honeycombs in honey are $2-6/12oz (we've had both square and round packages; current one is square from the health food store) Tue Jan 27 05:02:28 -0800 2009 4360159 224238 Caralien 2 4360563 http://www.savannahbee.com/product/22/14 Is how I like it yum....the last small town I lived in sold them at a local boutique. Mon Jan 26 19:28:32 -0800 2009 4359771 11854 LaLa 3 4360611 Lala, see comb cllub Rules above and consider yourself a member :) Mon Jan 26 19:45:46 -0800 2009 4360563 36312 HillJ 4 4360715 Alright, I'm feeling the momentum! Do we need an agent? A lawyer? A sweetness factor? What about a physiologist to make sure the comb gets digested? LaLa, you're not the LaLa we met in Africa, are you??? Mon Jan 26 20:32:51 -0800 2009 4360611 131001 c oliver 5 4361213 If the agent, lawyer, pysch, sweet test all enjoy honey comb..they can come too! Don't fear the honey comb! Tue Jan 27 05:07:36 -0800 2009 4360715 36312 HillJ 6 4361456 "Don't fear the honey comb" ~~~~~~ why is "blue oyster cult" music swirling in my mind? ;-). Tue Jan 27 07:11:02 -0800 2009 4361213 105717 alkapal 7 4361498 think of it as "blue oyster comb" Tue Jan 27 07:22:15 -0800 2009 4361456 36312 HillJ 8 4361502 LOL! Tue Jan 27 07:23:04 -0800 2009 4361498 105717 alkapal 1 4361579 We raised bees when I was a kid, and my grandfather would switch out empty frames (frames hang inside the bee hive and consist of a sheet of wax with hexagonal chambers on both sides, which the bees fill with honey then seal off a full hexagon with a layer of bees wax). When you harvest the honey, there are two or three ways you can extract the honey. The most primitive consist of cutting the comb into serving size pieces and letting the diner worry about how to break the seals on the chambers, or you can put the whole comb in a container a.d smush it all up,. Some heat it and let the melted wax float to the top. Or there is a device that is sort of like an electric spatula (the kind you use for frosting cakes, not flipping eggs or burgers) on which the whole blade heats up and you use it to slice the layer of seals off the top of all the hexagons in wide strokes, then set the comb to drain. Commercial extraction is far more sophisticated and often centrifuged. If you want the benefits of raw honey, you don't heat the honey to remove the wax.. As a kid, I would chew bees wax when I had a chink of honey still in the comb, but that's an awful lot of sweet in one mouth full! I used to also chew the paraffin cap from jars of home made jams and jellies. Whether it's bees wax or food grade paraffin, I don't think it does anything great for your working innards if you swallow it. I always treated it like gum. Spit it out when the flavor is gone. Tue Jan 27 07:49:17 -0800 2009 4352555 112096 Caroline1 2 4362752 Same info here. The racks/frames in which the bees built the comb were placed into wooden boxes we called "supers". We only robbed about half of the honey from each super, and then only early in the summer. We decapped the comb with a hot knife, then spun the honey out with an old hand-cranked centrifuge. Some years the honey was dark and strong, other years light and mild. I always preferred the mild honey. And yes, just a small chunk of honeycomb is a lot of sweet. It almost made me queasy. We had to be careful about leaving the bees enough honey to survive the winter on: "A hive a of bees robbed in June is worth a silver spoon. A hive of bees robbed in July is sure to die." Tue Jan 27 12:36:55 -0800 2009 4361579 227202 vtnewbie 1 4361600 I work in a retail cheese shop and we sell small 12oz blocks of honeycomb to go with our cheese. We recommend to customers they serve a small chunk on the cheese plate with toasted pecans or walnuts, as well as fresh berries. A nice English cheddar is my favorite with this combo. Then eat a little bit of each together, the textures and flavors come together on the tongue, the crunch, the sweet, the sharpness, just wonderful. Tue Jan 27 07:53:59 -0800 2009 4352555 243273 pacheeseguy 2 4361907 web link from about.com regarding cheese/honey pairings. http://cheese.about.com/od/cheeseplatters/a/cheese_honey.htm Tue Jan 27 09:21:52 -0800 2009 4361600 243273 pacheeseguy 1 4361606 In regard to the OP's original question. I wouldn't place honey with comb in hot tea. The hot water melts the wax, leaving a residue quite unpleasant and spoiling the tea. But spread on bread, crusty and delicious! The Savannah Bee site provides some wonderful recipes for honey. You might want to visit that page. Tue Jan 27 07:55:48 -0800 2009 4352555 36312 HillJ 2 4361881 I've just sent an email to Savannah Bee asking if they have time to explain why what I ate appeared to be very different from what others have commented on., i.e., waxy, spit out, etc. I'll post when I hear from them. Hey, I didn't check to see if they have hats!!!!! Tue Jan 27 09:15:47 -0800 2009 4361606 131001 c oliver 3 4361929 Cool, I'll be checking back for their posted reply. Bee bonnets I would imagine :) Tue Jan 27 09:25:57 -0800 2009 4361881 36312 HillJ 4 4361948 Bee bonnets!!!!!!!!!!! So bad it's good. Although I live in Calif. now, I grew up in Atlanta. The Ga. Tech mascot is a yellow jacket. I'd considered "beanies." Do they even have beanies anymore??? Tue Jan 27 09:29:18 -0800 2009 4361929 131001 c oliver 5 4361955 Yellow beanies sold with every honey comb...oh you must give Savannah Bee Co. a call and pitch this idea! Think of the club membership! LOL! Tue Jan 27 09:31:17 -0800 2009 4361948 36312 HillJ 5 4364822 the beanies are different these days: http://www.mysportsshop.com/COLLEGE_GA_Tech_Yellow_Jackets_Cool_Weather_Beanies/Top_of_the_World_Georgia_Tech_Yellow_Jackets_Ash_Crest_Knit_Beanie Wed Jan 28 06:14:30 -0800 2009 4361948 105717 alkapal 6 4365134 Now isn't that amazing??? Are you young and knew that? I'm in my 60s and that certainly wasn't a beanie "in MY days" :) So are you interested in joining the club? You'll have to eat comb!!! Wed Jan 28 07:41:38 -0800 2009 4364822 131001 c oliver 6 4365164 It's all because Archie and Jughead are no longer around to educate the world! Wed Jan 28 07:47:06 -0800 2009 4364822 112096 Caroline1 7 4365189 You are SO correct! We called those "stocking caps." And now call them "ski caps." But "beanies"???? Wed Jan 28 07:51:57 -0800 2009 4365164 131001 c oliver 8 4365258 I thought beanies were those little boy caps with 2 or more colours and a propeller on top. :) Wed Jan 28 08:06:42 -0800 2009 4365189 224238 Caralien 9 4365453 Those too! A la "Cecil and Beanie!" There were Jughead beanies and there were Beanie beanies! The world has forgotten so many important things. <sigh> Wed Jan 28 08:54:00 -0800 2009 4365258 112096 Caroline1 7 4368670 yes, archie and jughead! http://www.comicvine.com/jughead-jones/29-1728/ and "little rascals" re-runs. http://heustess.com/pictures.htm ok, here is the quintessential "beanie" in my mind: http://www.villagehatshop.com/propeller_round.html for savannah bee company, they can do it in a "bee" theme: yellow and black color blocks -- maybe in a microplush fabric, soft like a bee's fuzz? http://entertheoctopus.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/honey-bee-00.png and a propeller that looks like bee wings (with the delicate framework and all. kewl!) Thu Jan 29 07:05:05 -0800 2009 4365164 105717 alkapal 8 4369042 Yes! That's a real beanie! And here's a picture of Beanie wearing a beanie. http://www.tvacres.com/puppets_beany_cecil.htm I never watched the "Beanie and Cecil" cartoon, and conversely I never ever missed an episode of the "Time For Beanie" puppet show with Stan Freberg as one of the voices. I feel sorry for anybody who doesn't know who Stan Freberg was. This was my favorite TV show of all time. Albert Einstein's too! '-) Thu Jan 29 08:49:40 -0800 2009 4368670 112096 Caroline1 9 4369239 Oh lordy you've gotten behind the spirit! Comb club has quite a few members now (hahaha) Thu Jan 29 09:36:43 -0800 2009 4369042 36312 HillJ 1 4363537 As other posters have stated, honey comb is wax and isn't generally eaten in large quantities. If you can handle the sweetness, you can chew on the honeycomb until the flavor is gone and spit out the comb. I have been served very small, thin pieces of honey comb on cheese plates and have eaten them, comb and all, with cheeses, esp. blue cheeses. A little wax won't hurt you! These little pieces of honeycomb could be "spreadable", if only because the comb was cut so thin...kind of like how you can spread brie with the rind...sort of. The rind isn't really spreadable the way the cheese itself (or honey) is, but with a small enough piece of rind you can sort of "spread" it out on a cracker... Tue Jan 27 16:16:38 -0800 2009 4352555 156153 akq 1 4369458 Hello clubbies and non-clubbies :) Here are the two emails I've gotten from my new best friend, Betsy, at Savannah Bee: "Good Morning Catherine, Great question. You can either eat it or spit it out. It’s a personal thing. However, the comb is presumably more nutritious than the honey itself, containing a natural antibiotic, bee pollen, some residual royal jelly and propolis. All of this plus the fact that it is easily digestible makes it a natural wonder. I hope this answers your question. If not please feel free to write me anytime – I am so happy to answer questions like this. Have a delightful Wednesday! Sincerely, Betsy Email #2: "Honeycomb is just itself, if you think its spreadable then it is, and vise versa. You can eat it anyway you see fit. Yet another reason it’s neat – do with it what you will. Get creative. I’m often asked what I eat it with and my initial answer always is “a spoon” (then I get into a diatribe involving manchego and granny smith apples but that’s another discussion altogether). I hope I’ve helped but I can’t be sure so I encourage you to write back and let me know. Plus I’ll try to answer anything else you can think of . . ." I sent her the link to this thread. This IS fun, isn't it? And I like alkapal's design HUGELY :) Maybe the club's first meeting should be in Savannah, one of my favorite cities. Thu Jan 29 10:21:44 -0800 2009 4352555 131001 c oliver 2 4369730 Savannah is fun. If it's late summer, count me in, and we'll drive down from IOP for the night! Thu Jan 29 11:25:46 -0800 2009 4369458 224238 Caralien 3 4369758 I don't DO the south in late Georgia! Can you spell H-U-M-I-D-I-T-Y ???? Where/what's IOP? Thu Jan 29 11:33:24 -0800 2009 4369730 131001 c oliver 4 4369766 Oh I'm more than "in" my son attends college in Savannah. When do I order my hat! c oliver, thank you for posting Betsy's reply! I was very confident (afterall). Thu Jan 29 11:35:50 -0800 2009 4369758 36312 HillJ 4 4369922 Isle of Palms, SC (near Charleston). It is hot late August, but at least the water is nice to cool off in! Things were so much nicer when we were both unemployed and visited for a month mid-Jan to mid-Feb. The good old days. :) Holiday season is out I'm sure, but springtime is lovely too! Thoughts? Thu Jan 29 12:06:01 -0800 2009 4369758 224238 Caralien 2 4369820 This thread has prompted me to run out and grab a honeycomb, some good English cheddar and a crusty baguette--which I am now enjoying in my office with the door closed. Mmmmm Thu Jan 29 11:46:45 -0800 2009 4369458 239573 choco_lab38 3 4369859 Inquiring minds want to know: are you spreading that comb or chewing and spitting out?!? Making me hungry too. Thu Jan 29 11:52:25 -0800 2009 4369820 131001 c oliver 1 4376590 as a child growing up in rural Japan, my mother used to only buy honey with the comb. she would spread it on thick toast. i could never eat it because i have a mental image of baby bees being stuck inside the comb... the store that sold the comb honey also sold bee larvae (to be stir fried and served with beer) and wasp honey (which the wasp was suspended in honey). haven't really seen any in California (LA)... Sat Jan 31 19:31:25 -0800 2009 4352555 199116 nomnomnoms 2 4377387 what did one "do" with the wasp? was it decoration, to i.d. the honey, or to demonstrate virility if one ate it (like the worm in mezcal liquor)? Sun Feb 01 07:49:48 -0800 2009 4376590 105717 alkapal 1 4377635 As a child... mom would buy the comb only as a treat for my sister and I. I have also had it as part of a cheese tray, but recently I had some dipped in dark chocolate from a chocolate shop...it was really great. I plan on trying to recreate it for Christmas this year. Sun Feb 01 09:48:00 -0800 2009 4352555 228711 snix 2 4377828 What a fab idea, chocolate & honey comb! Buckeyes made with edible wax includes choc & peanut butter...so your experience can't be that far-fetched. Interesting! Sun Feb 01 11:14:11 -0800 2009 4377635 36312 HillJ 1 4772443 you bee lovers, you were talking about beanies, but how about t-shirts to signal your love of honey? http://www.daisyowl.com/store/beeshirt.php Sun Jun 14 16:17:10 -0700 2009 4352555 105717 alkapal 2 4772450 Are bees still thriving? A year ago it was doomsday. Sun Jun 14 16:21:30 -0700 2009 4772443 56131 jayt90 3 4772816 i hear the bees are back. it was on another thread. Sun Jun 14 19:11:49 -0700 2009 4772450 105717 alkapal 4 4772865 population plunging: http://www.dailyitem.com/0100_news/local_story_165075330.html population growth: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=growth-in-honeybee-population cure for colony collapse discovered? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090414084627.htm Sun Jun 14 19:37:19 -0700 2009 4772816 224238 Caralien 5 4772885 i'm not following the bee issue in detail, but this post from sal vanilla on a thread about the bees is the positive report to which i referred above in my post: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/520858#4747482 Sun Jun 14 19:47:17 -0700 2009 4772865 105717 alkapal 2 4772874 Isn't that wonderful??? I'd just been thinking about honeycomb . I think the *season* is approaching. Gotta check out some farmers markets. Sun Jun 14 19:39:50 -0700 2009 4772443 131001 c oliver 3 4777405 Just arrived in NYC for a long visit. Went to Fairway yesterday and got a little box of honeycomb. Part of our lunch today will be honeycomb and gorgonzola dolce (from DiPalo's) on a baguette along with some hunter's sausage also from DP. Oh, did I mention wine??? We ARE on vacation, ya know! Tue Jun 16 08:16:39 -0700 2009 4772874 131001 c oliver 4 4780691 How did you find the comb there? Was it spreadable or waxy? I have to wonder if there are several factors at play with the waxy Vs Spreadable issue. One, personal taste which can clearly cover a lot of ground. However I am wondering if because you are getting honey from a specific vendor if the type of bees in that area or the climate have an impact on the comb. I also wonder if freshness comes to play. After all we all know honey can crystallize if stored to long. Ambient temperature and humidity where the comb was harvested and how it was stored might have an impact on "waxyness" Vs spreadability. There are many types of honey and I also have to wonder if that also contributes to the texture of the comb. Orange blossom Vs Clover etc. Wed Jun 17 07:04:19 -0700 2009 4777405 253154 Fritter 5 4780747 Honeybees are similar in breeding and traits across North America. The combs are built the same way and finished the same way. Nectar is fanned until it is set, then sealed with a cap. It will keep in liquid form for at least two months, regardless of normal variations in temperature or humidity. Eventually it will crystallize, but if harvested it would be sold or consumed before this happens. Hot toast or rolls would make the comb spreadable, but some people, like myself, like to chew the wax and discard it. I'm mostly familiar with northern honeycombs, clover and basswood, but there is one southern honey that won't crystallize, (Tupelo?) Otherwise the bees produce a very standardized product accross the continent, the wax being the same everywhere, and the honey varied by flower. Wed Jun 17 07:20:15 -0700 2009 4780691 56131 jayt90 1 4777093 http://www.bionicbites.com/2009/05/presents-from-afar-seoul-munich/ yummy honey comb via bionic bites. Tue Jun 16 06:48:48 -0700 2009 4352555 36312 HillJ 2 4778392 great link--I loved the mini Korean platters! I tried honeycomb with taleggio; not a good combination. Note to self: taleggio, good. Honey or Champagne with taleggio, bad. Tue Jun 16 12:08:11 -0700 2009 4777093 224238 Caralien 3 4778411 That particular honey comb is one of the most honey rich combs I've enjoyed. Far too many combs are devoid of honey or starch out quickly. That photo is so inviting! Tue Jun 16 12:14:39 -0700 2009 4778392 36312 HillJ 2 4779633 Thanks for the link, the pic of the comb on cracker with cheese was beautiful and inspired me to put a slice of comb on a cracker with some parmesan. Great combo! Tue Jun 16 18:20:48 -0700 2009 4777093 56216 stratford 3 4780345 My pleasure! Wed Jun 17 04:18:09 -0700 2009 4779633 36312 HillJ 2 4782798 Thanks for the link love HillJ! I have a tiny square of comb honey left. I think I'll be eating it straight, chewing it really really slow. Wed Jun 17 17:36:05 -0700 2009 4777093 231547 BionicGrrrl 3 4783098 Best way to enjoy honey comb is slowly, BGrrrl! Wed Jun 17 19:39:42 -0700 2009 4782798 36312 HillJ 1 4779217 It is much too dark for my tastes. I prefer the delicate water whites from basswood or white dutch clover. Like a fine Mosel. Tue Jun 16 15:50:20 -0700 2009 4352555 56131 jayt90