Organic honey
Published: 28 Oct 04
Warmed and drizzled over ice cream or baked camembert, or lightly whisked into a ricotta and oregano pasta sauce, honey ranks among the world's superior ingredients. But it's loved and revered not only for
gourmet reasons.
All kinds of other factors reinforce our fondness. Its voluptuousness. Its satiny
texture. Its amber glow. There may even be an atavistic element, because those
ancestors who lived in Spanish caves 9 000 years ago were very partial to the
stuff, say archaeologists.
It's the mystical link it provides with nature - and our own survival - that may be its most compelling attraction. You don't need to be a holistic health evangelist to associate honey with soothing images of sunny gardens or tranquil orchards in full bloom. According to beekeeper Marc Farah of Cape-based Honey Guide, it's a fact that bees are responsible for about 70% of all fruit pollination. "They make life possible for us," he says simply.
For him and partner Corné MacKenzie beekeeping is a way of living out holistic values and permaculture principles. The core purpose of their business, they say, is "to wow people with the wonders of nature". What's more, they believe only exceptionally happy bees can make exceptionally delicious honey. "We have an unspoken agreement with our bees," Farah explains. "We keep them happy and they keep us happy."
To this end, their bees are never exposed to pesticides or other chemicals, and they're never fed sugar water or pollen substitutes. They are also moved as seldom as possible. "This way their natural rhythms are never compromised. And the more attuned they are to their environment, the better they do."
Like single vineyard wines, Honey Guide's plain floral honeys are harvested per apiary site and never blended together, to preserve the unique flavour each site and season delivers.
The range includes a delectable Honey Halva and a dreamy Creamed Honey & Roasted Almonds that could convert even those inclined to dismiss holistic theories as codswallop. For more info, call 021 713 0433.
It's the mystical link it provides with nature - and our own survival - that may be its most compelling attraction. You don't need to be a holistic health evangelist to associate honey with soothing images of sunny gardens or tranquil orchards in full bloom. According to beekeeper Marc Farah of Cape-based Honey Guide, it's a fact that bees are responsible for about 70% of all fruit pollination. "They make life possible for us," he says simply.
For him and partner Corné MacKenzie beekeeping is a way of living out holistic values and permaculture principles. The core purpose of their business, they say, is "to wow people with the wonders of nature". What's more, they believe only exceptionally happy bees can make exceptionally delicious honey. "We have an unspoken agreement with our bees," Farah explains. "We keep them happy and they keep us happy."
To this end, their bees are never exposed to pesticides or other chemicals, and they're never fed sugar water or pollen substitutes. They are also moved as seldom as possible. "This way their natural rhythms are never compromised. And the more attuned they are to their environment, the better they do."
Like single vineyard wines, Honey Guide's plain floral honeys are harvested per apiary site and never blended together, to preserve the unique flavour each site and season delivers.
The range includes a delectable Honey Halva and a dreamy Creamed Honey & Roasted Almonds that could convert even those inclined to dismiss holistic theories as codswallop. For more info, call 021 713 0433.
By Marianne Holtman
