A few years ago, honey was not on my list of favourite ingredients. It was something I turned to as a remedy for a sore throat or a respiratory tract allergy. My equation with this liquid gold didn’t change until I was introduced to some wild honey extracted naturally from the mountains close to where we live. It lacked that overpowering after-taste of mass produced honey and I was hooked.
That led to picking varieties of honey sourced consciously by people who respected the land. Closer home, the honey we invested in was procured by hill tribes in small quantities that relied on the surplus rather than robbing the bees of what was rightfully theirs.
I chanced upon comb honey during a trip abroad. I had read about this delicacy earlier and, about a year ago, some friends had shared pictures of the comb honey extracted from hives within their yards.
The box we found looked well sealed with layers of golden honey comb and I was excited at the thought of a honeycomb tasting with the family. Once the lid came off, we spent a few moments marvelling at the complex cross-sections of the comb. These little hexagonal chambers created tightly knit compartments that prevented the golden nectar from oozing out. It almost seemed a shame to put a spoon through those layers.
The simplest way to eat it is as topping for toast. We added some salty cream cheese to counter the gooey sweetness. As the spoon went in effortlessly, bits of honey comb broke off and could be easily spread on the small squares of bread. From the broken edges, the clear honey flowed out into a small puddle on the cream cheese. Visually, it made for the perfect bite.
The closest description for the taste and texture would be to compare it to the Indian sweet, ghevar . The edible beeswax has a melt-in-the-mouth texture and merges seamlessly with honey, offering a lip-smacking taste. After downing one, we all reached for seconds.
Comb honey has been around for thousands of years. Honey in its purest form is found inside the comb. With the increasing demand for this natural sweetener, there has been extensive commercialisation of hives and methods of bee cultivation.
If you search for kombu thaen on the Internet, the images will show large chunks of honeycomb extracted along with the honey. Traditional bee keeping is about knowing when to harvest. A conscientious honey gatherer or bee keeper will only gather in the summer months when the bees go into excess production. When there is an excess of honey, the comb will fill up. As a result there will not be enough space to raise new bees and the old bees die. Hence it is best to harvest the excess honey than for bees to die due to lack of space. Once the honey is extracted, the bees will move on to a different space rather than stay with the hive. There are several comb honey retailers online. Educate yourself and check out a source that appeals to you. This is definitely a gastronomic experience that’s worth discovering. Now you know what the bears are so obsessed about!
