SUSTAINABLE, VERSATILE, GLOBAL, DELICIOUS: HONEY'S GOT BUZZ

Honey isn’t just honey anymore. At farmers markets, grocery stores and restaurants, there’s a wide assortment of honeys in various colors and tastes, from far-away places and ones next door.

Why is a food that’s been part of the human diet for millennia suddenly so trendy?

First, of course, honey is delicious and versatile. It can be used in baking, dressings, marinades, sauces, cocktails — in all sorts of dishes both savory and sweet.

It is sweeter than straight sugar, so you can use less.

Honey is produced all over the world, so as we explore new cuisines, we’re seeing the many ways honey can be utilized.

Increased awareness of the importance of bees and pollination also has a lot to do with why people are seeking out honey, says Lori Jean Levy, CEO and owner of My Global Table, an importer of specialty goods. Bee populations have plummeted, she notes, threatening the food supply.

``This makes it a true current events issue,” she says. Honey is a sustainable and eco-friendly product at a time when many consumers are making that a priority.

Elyse Hohnerlein, operations coordinator for Savannah Bee Honey, in Savannah, Georgia, notes that honey producers support ``both the beekeepers and the bees.”

“People are wanting to make the environment a better place, and honey is a delicious way of getting to that goal,” she says.