They say that there are only two types of “food” that don’t need refrigeration: alcohol and honey.

While I believe wholeheartedly that I can survive without alcohol, honey would be more difficult to give up. I like it dribbled over peanut butter-banana sandwiches to which I’ve sprinkled some cinnamon, and honey is my sweetener of choice when making yogurt smoothies. I also like baking with honey.

Today’s photo is that of a bottle of wild honey sold at the FTI Market. Unlike the insipid supermarket honeys which are grossly lacking in viscosity, to say nothing about the flavor, this particular honey is thick. When I flip the bottle over, the liquid flows sluggishly, creating beautiful little (air) bubbles like the one captured above.

Generally, the flavor of honey is directly proportional to its color. While the comb honeys, those with the honey still in the chewy comb, are ideal, both chunk-style honey (honeycomb pieces included) and liquid honey are great too. The honey in the photo above is the color of caramel cooked to a deep amber. Ironically, when I remove the cap to take a whiff, I smell vinegar. Strange. But the flavor is something else; wild and strong, it carries a whisper of sweet giving way to nuances of lime and earth.