Oooey Gooey Madness: Irish Honey
Enjoy the oooey gooey goodness, or madness (!) with Irish honey. Here are a few Irish honeys to explore:
BeeActiv Honey
BeeActive presents the incredible soothing qualities of the ivy honey. (For those familiar with the Halls throat lozenge it had that same soothing effect). BeeActiv Honey is now found in many pharmacies across Ireland and their product line includes raw ivy honey, Irish blossom honey, ivy honey lozenges, beeswax and candles.
Galtee Honey
Founded in 1970, Galtee Honey, is main breeder of the Native Irish Black Honey Bee. The honey is produced from some 170 hives of honey bees based across Cork, Limerick and Tipperary. The honey is collected from numerous sources inclusive of blackberry blossom, horse chestnut blossom, sycamore and dandelion. The product line includes honey, candles and cosmetics.
Mileeven
The name is derived from two Irish words "mil" for Irish honey and "aoibhinn" which means delightful. Mileeven has been recognized with numerous awards over the years inclusive of the Great Taste Awards and the Irish Food Awards. The Mileeven honey range includes organic, Manuka, pure and lavender. For some interesting facts about honey and bees read more here.
Celtic Honey Liqueur
Made from 100% ingredients, Celtic Honey Liqueur is drawn from a secret recipe that has been handed down through the generations from the ancient Celts of Ireland. Celtic Honey Liqueur is produced under the Castle Brands umbrella. Looking for a bit of summer cocktail inspiration? Here's an enticing cocktail to make with Celtic Honey Liqueur: the Celtic Frappe Cocktail.
Yellowman
For some the mention of yellowman might not draw any, or immediate connection to a food item - yet there is one. Yellowman is an Irish honeycomb candy that originates from Northern Ireland. If curious to learn more about this Irish honeycomb candy and one account of a multi-generation focus on its production can be heard here.
Curious about how to make it? Here is a recipe drawn from A Taste of Ireland by Theodora Fitzgibbon (1916 - 1991), a noted Irish cookbook writer and author:
Ingredients:
1 lb. tin golden syrup (corn or light)
1/2 lb. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 heaped tablespoon butter
2 tbsp. vinegar
Instructions:
Melt the butter and run it round the pan. Then add sugar, syrup and vinegar. Stir until sugar and all ingredients are melted. Boil without stirring until a little of the toffee becomes crisp and brittle if put in cold water. Then add the baking soda, which will make it foam up; stir again, then pour on to a greased slab or a large dish. Turn edges to the centre, and pull the toffee when cool enough. Pull until it is pale yellow in colour. It can be poured into a greased tin and cut into squares if preferred.
* * * * *
To get a little closer to the honey story, consider booking into a bee tour at Leahy Beekeeping in co. Galway.
* * * * *
Hiving the Bees: Children’s Game
The Schools' Collection is a treasure trove of stories, historical accounts and more. Conducted in 1937/1938, schoolchildren across Ireland were invited to submit stories drawn from their villages and towns on a whole range of different topics.
Drawing on the honey theme, the game Hiving the Bees is identified as a wake game. The following is what was written by a schoolchild from co. Carlow on this game:
"It consisted of getting some person that was ignorant of the game if they had a bad temper so much the better. He was to act as drone or queen bee and sit there waiting for the honey. Then a lot of youths was sent out to gather the honey. They would all come back buzzing like bees with their mouths full of water. They would buzz all around the drone and then let off all the squarts of water upon him."