It’s the first day of the National Honey Month peeps! Yes, we know it’s the start of the Labor Day weekend too. So honey just adds extra sweetness to it. 

We at culture decided to pay our tributes to that bottle of goodness, by pairing it with three ages of one of Italy’s favorite cheese: Grana Padano. And special thanks to Savannah Bee Honey Company for packing those delicious bottles of artisan honey.

Three ages of Grana Padano selected for honey tasting

   What were our impressions about the different ages of  cheese, and pairing them with honey?

 Brandi Wills, Editor-in-Chief:

12-14 months: Sweet, salty, buttery. Strong on the nose; creamy.

16 months: (Favorite!) Tart, acidic. Some crystals. Salt and sweetness are milder. Mild and floral on the nose.

24 months: Very sweet and salty, dry, acidic. Hint of honey on the nose.

Lemon honey paired with 12-14 months aged cheese: Bright & tart. Sweet, and, sour.

Lavender honey paired with 12-14 months aged cheese: Nice pairing with good sweetness that tames the saltiness of the cheese. Balanced.

Rebecca Haley-Park, Managing Editor:

12-14 months: Smells like Hawaiian pizza: pineapple, cream, and hints of ham. Dry, granular texture with a mild, slightly tangy flavor.

16 months: Smells of tropical fruit with a hint of minerality. Dry, fudgy texture with crystals. Sharper, bolder flavors with more acid and stone notes. 

24 months: Smells of grilled pineapple—heady, meaty, and a touch smoky. Extremely dry in texture. Flavors of grass and pineapple with hints of cellar and earth.

Loved the lavender honey with all ages of the cheese. A soft, floral counterpart to the super dry, salty cheese.

And here are our favorite infused honey recipes for you to try out through the month. 

Monisha Awasthi

Monisha is culture's Digital Editor. A mediaperson and a trained chef, when Monisha is not busy getting her daily dose of oxygen on social media, you'll find her developing new flavors in her suburban kitchen. Her favorite cheese: Pecorino Toscano