Il honey it is an excellent substitute for white sugar: it is less caloric and provides various substances that are precious for health (vitamins, mineral salts, trace elements, enzymes).
"From a nutritional point of view, all the products examined are valid," says Diana Scatozza. «I therefore limited myself to rewarding those from the village with a“ plus ”, especially if they were made in restricted geographical areas. For the organoleptic analysis, on the other hand, I leave the floor to Giorgio Donegani ».
From appearance to taste
«First I judged the appearance», begins the food technologist. "Looking through the glass jar, the color must be homogeneous and there must be neither a separation between the more solid part and the watery one (sign of poor freshness, which I found in only one case), nor diffuse bubbles (indices of a fermentation in progress), nor impurities (in 1 of the 12 samples examined I noticed black particles that could be insect fragments). I then moved on to the evaluation of the consistency: if it is too fluid, almost liquid, it means that the honey has a high water content, therefore it is more subject to fermentation ».
La crystallization, on the other hand, it does not indicate a poor quality product: «It is a natural process which almost all honeys go through (except acacia, chestnut and honeydew ones)», explains Dr. Donegani.
“Coming to the smell, it must be enough intense, characteristic, natural, preferably with hints of floral, spicy, caramel. Finally, with regard to flavor, I generally rewarded balance, penalizing the jars in which the dessert dominated every other sensation. Honey must in fact have a rich taste and let perceive notes of flowers or fruit ».
MILLEFLOWER HONEY, THE 4 BEST:
Apicoltori Riuniti Wildflower honey from Lombardy: € 4,99 the 500 g jar (€ 9,98 / kg).
The strong point. The fruity notes.
Produced in the country, it is harvested in the mountains of Lombardy (even if the cooperative is based in Piedmont, in Asti). It is contained in a glass jar with a screw cap and when opened it shows an absolutely negligible presence of foam on the surface and does not indicate fermentation. It is fluid but not too much, amber yellow in color.
The scent is quite intense, pleasant, with hints of fresh fruit. In the mouth it reveals a sweetness without acidity and confirms the fruity sensation that is given to the olfactory examination.
In 10 g: 8 g of sugars, 30,2 cal.
Piana 100% wildflower honey from the country: € 4,90 the 380 g jar (€ 12,89 / kg).
The strong point. The perfume without defects.
This product (declared 100% of the country) has a rigid plastic packaging, with a "drip-free" pressure cap, very practical, given the stickiness of honey. The color is amber yellow and there are no bubbles or surface patinas. The scent is light, flawless, but not too distinctive.
The consistency is rather fluid, not grainy, and in the mouth it is not very sweet, pleasant, with more pronounced aromatic hints than those perceived on the nose.
In 10 g: 7,8 g of sugars, 31,4 cal.
Coop Wildflower honey of the country: € 4,99 the 500 g jar (€ 9,98 / kg).
The strong point. The spicy flavor.
This country-produced honey is contained in a glass bottle with a screw cap. Upon opening, it shows neither bubbles nor surface patinas. It has a homogeneous amber color and medium fluidity. The scent is floral, rather rich, fresh, rightly intense.
In the mouth it does not leave unpleasant sensations of sand. It is appreciated for its not excessive sweetness and good aromatic richness with some spicy notes. The flavor is persistent and leaves no abnormal aftertaste of medicine or soap.
In 10 g: 8,3 g of sugars, 33,1 cal.
Mielizia We beekeepers in Tuscany Honey from the wildflower country: € 8,90 the 680 g jar (€ 13,09 / kg).
The strong point. The thick consistency.
This honey is also from the country, packaged in a glass jar with screw closure. On opening it shows a rather high consistency, but without hints of crystallization. There is no bubble or patina on the surface and the color is a beautiful deep yellow with orange highlights.
The smell is not particularly strong, but still pleasant and without defects. When tasted, the flavor is balanced, with a fairly fine floral scent and some notes of tropical fruit. The sweet is not excessive and there are no acid notes.
In 10 g: 8,3 g of sugars, 33,1 cal.
Our lab: Dr. Giorgio Donegani, food technologist in Sesto San Giovanni (Milan); Dr. Diana Scatozza, specialist in Food Science in Milan.
