Sweet bee products' taste dictated by nectar's source

American honey comes in more than 300 varietals, based on the nectar source. Here's a snapshot of some of the most popular honeys and uses, with suggestions from the National Honey Board:

Alfalfa: A legume grown as livestock feed, this crop ranks as the most important honey plant in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon and most of the Western states. Alfalfa honey is a very light amber with a delicate flavor, perfect for everyday use as a general sweetener.

Buckwheat: A native plant, buckwheat is not actually a wheat (it's related to rhubarb), but it's a favorite food for bees. Buckwheat honey is pungent, dark molasses brown with a distinctive malty flavor and lingering aftertaste. Try it in baked goods and barbecue sauce.

Clover: Sweet and delicate, this is what most people think of as "typical" honey. Clover is considered the most common nectar plant for honeybees, but various species of clover (white Dutch, red, white sweet, etc.) add distinct flavor notes, often slightly spicy.

Orange blossom: This honey smells like an orange grove with fragrant floral notes. It's popular in the citrus states -- California, Florida, Texas and Arizona. It's a great table honey, but also try it in cookies, cakes and other baked goods.

Tupelo: A Southeastern specialty, this honey originates in Florida and Georgia, where tupelo trees grow wild. With a tropical scent, the flavorful light-amber honey has a complex berrylike taste with slightly bitter and sour notes complementing its basic sweetness. It rarely crystallizes.

Wildflower: About a quarter million species of plants come under the category "wildflower," so honeys in this category will vary wildly depending on their source.

Food on 08/27/2014

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