This honey is typical of southern Poland highlands. Goldenrod being one of the last plants to bloom in the early fall, this honey is rarely sold (often being left for the bees to feed on during the winter). As many honeys it is renowned for its medicinal properties – for all ailments of the bladder, prostate, and kidney stones in this case.
This specific goldenrod honey is from the Pszczeli Dar estate of Tomasz Jakubiec in the Tatra mountains. Typically light in colour, it shows a creamy liquid consistency and just exudes freshness. The aroma is light, very ‘elegant’, with a bit of peppery spice. It is the flavour, however, that comes a real surprise. Fantastically intense, in a light register with notes of citrus and white flowers, and a moreish creamy, very slightly grainy texture. If you browse for goldenrod honey in the US it is typically described as a dark-coloured honey with a spicy taste – this Polish version is far lighter than that, and vaguely resembles rapeseed honey but is fruitier.

Intensity of flavour and length of aftertaste are, for me, the hallmarks of a truly great honey. This one is really excellent.

By pure chance today, I walked past a Sunday market near the Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw. Various regional products from the Suwałki region in north-eastern Poland were on sale. There were breads, sausages, baskets, wooden carvings, clothes. This region, once the cradle of the now-defunct Yotvingian people, and now a borderland between Lithuania and Poland, is considered one of our most valuable natural reserves, with a very rural landscape of ancient woods, lakes and pastures. As a region of strong ethnic identity, it also boasts a rich culinary tradition with many savoury and sweet specialities.

One stand at the market caught my attention. The Witkowski family from Puńsk was offering a staggering array of honeys. From what I gathered later browsing the www, Piotr Witkowski is considered one of the leading beekeepers in Northern Poland. His production technique is very traditional, all honeys are slowly cold-pressed and see minimal manipulation. My knowledge of honey production is extremely limited, but taste-wise these are probably the best honeys I ever tasted.

Mustard honey is the lightest of the three. A light yellow-orange colour, it has a spicy, almost meaty aroma giving way to various yellow fruits. Quite a distinctive taste, and a medium-grained texture with good length.