Reading honey through a microscope
Pollen grains tell you where a hive worked. Here is what we found in this season's leatherwood.
Written by
Dr. James Chen, food science
A microscope is the most honest tool we own. Under 400x magnification, the pollen suspended in a teaspoon of honey reveals the entire foraging map of a hive.
This year’s leatherwood is 87% leatherwood pollen by count. The remaining 13% is mostly prickly box, with a small contribution from the heath species that flowered late along the Pieman River. That ratio matches what you taste — a leatherwood dominant honey, with a tang on the finish from the prickly box that other producers blend away.
We submit a slide from each season to the University of Tasmania’s palynology lab. Their results sit next to the laboratory MGO sheet in every shipment.
About the author
Dr. James Chen, food science
Contributor
A storyteller from the family — sharing what we learn on the ridge, in the rainforest, and in the kitchen.
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