On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1224

savorythanhoney,”andtheirbedchamberas
“honeyfilled.”IntheOldTestament,the
promisedlandispicturedseveraltimesasa
landflowingwithmilkandhoney,ametaphor
ofdelightfulplentythatisitselfused
figurativelyintheSongofSongs,where
anotherbridegroomchants,“Thylips,Omy
spouse,dropasthehoneycomb:honeyand
milkareunderthytongue…”
Honeyremainedanimportantingredientin
boththefoodandcultureofclassicalGreece
andRome.TheGreeksoffereditin
ceremoniestothedeadandthegods,and
priestessesofthegoddessesDemeter,
Artemis,andRheawerecalledmelissai:the
Greekmelissa,liketheHebrewdeborah,
means“bee.”Theprestigeofhoneywasdue
inparttoitsmysteriousoriginsandtoabelief
thatitwasalittlebitofheavenfallentoearth.
TheRomannaturalhistorianPlinyspeculated
inentertainingdetailonhoney’snature.


Honeycomesoutoftheair…Atearlydawn
theleavesoftreesarefoundbedewedwith
honey…Whetherthisistheperspirationof
theskyorasortofsalivaofthestars,or
themoistureoftheairpurgingitself,
neverthelessitbringswithitthegreat
pleasureofitsheavenlynature.
It was more than 1,000 years before the

truerolesofflowerandbeeinthecreationof
honeywereuncovered(p.663).Infact,honey
making is the natural model for all human
sugar production. We too take sweet juices
from plants and separate the sugars from the
water. Palm trees in South Asia, maple and
birch trees in northern forests, agave plants
and maize stalks in the Americas: all these
have provided the sweet juices. But none of
themhasbeenasgenerousassugarcane.
SweetManna
IntheOldTestamentbookofExodus,God