On Saturday my Johnson’s Backyard Garden book club met to discuss The Honey Spinner and partake of a honey tasting. Leader Grit Ramuschkat had thoughtfully cut apple slices for a palate cleanser between samples, and there were different types of bread about. The Manuka variety honey from New Zealand was extraordinary. Its thickness compares to some of the creamy white floral honey from Hawaii I’ve enjoyed before. Manuka can be used medicinally on ulcers and other sensitive sites.
Colony Collapse Disorder – and displacement of bees and other natural resources in general – weighed heavily on the group’s minds as we discussed the book, but spirits lifted as we shared mint tea and honey.