Most people eat honey without really tasting it. It goes on toast, into tea, into a marinade. It is sweet and that is about as far as the analysis goes. But single-origin raw honey has a flavour complexity that is worth paying attention to, and tasting it properly is not complicated. It just requires slowing down for about three minutes.

Start at room temperature

Cold honey is harder to taste because the volatile aromatic compounds that carry most of the flavour are less active at low temperatures. If your honey has been in the fridge or has crystallised in a cool cupboard, bring it to room temperature before tasting. Around 20 to 22 degrees Celsius is ideal. You do not need to warm it further. A small amount on a clean spoon is enough to start.

Smell it before you taste it

Hold the spoon close to your nose and breathe in slowly. Most of the flavour you will perceive when you eat honey is actually aroma, processed through the retronasal passage at the back of your throat. Apple blossom honey has a faint green-fruit note that is easy to catch on the nose. Soba honey has an earthy, almost grainy smell that is quite different. Noticing the aroma first helps you identify the same notes when you taste.

Let it sit on your tongue

Put a small amount on your tongue and resist the urge to swallow immediately. Let it spread across the whole surface of your tongue. The tip of your tongue is most sensitive to sweetness, which is what you will notice first. As the honey warms and spreads, other notes emerge: acidity, bitterness, floral or earthy character. With our Shiojiri Forest Blend, the resinous note appears about ten seconds in and lingers after you swallow. That finish is part of what makes it interesting.

Compare two varieties side by side

The easiest way to understand what single-origin means is to taste two varieties next to each other. The Azumino Acacia and the Hotaka Soba Flower are about as different as two honeys can be: one pale, mild, and clean; the other dark, earthy, and assertive. Tasting them in sequence makes the differences obvious in a way that tasting either one alone does not. The Spring Harvest Gift Set is designed partly for this reason.

What to eat it with

Plain crackers or a small piece of neutral bread work well as a base for tasting, because they do not add competing flavours. Cheese is a good pairing for the more complex varieties: the Shiojiri Forest Blend with an aged hard cheese is a combination we recommend to the restaurants we supply. For everyday eating, the Azumino Acacia in tea is gentle enough not to overpower the tea, which is why it is the variety we suggest for people who are new to single-origin honey.

If you want to try tasting two varieties side by side, the Spring Harvest Gift Set includes three different honeys and is available now on the website.