Okay, this is kind of a continuation of the Oregon Eateries series, but only kind of.  I

mentioned in an earlier post (see the Restaurants section) about how Mike and I went on a scenic drive through the Columbia Gorge and saw some really awesome waterfalls.  I also mentioned that one of those was Multnomah Falls.  What I did not mention was that I acquired a very unique item from Multnomah’s gift shop: Purple honey.  Purple huckleberry honey to be exact.  Now, I know very little about huckleberries, save for the fact that that is the name of one of Mark Twain’s most famous characters, but the honey was freakin’ purple!  How could I not buy it?

    Well, seeing as how this was clearly a “specialty” honey, I didn’t want to pair it with a tea it would have to compete with, so I went out and bought some plain black tea and plain green tea.  For a objective view of both, of course.  As you can see, I thought into this waaaaaay too much.  That’s what I do, especially when it comes to tea.  Want to see just how particular I am about my tea?  Here’s the formula...

Sweeteners (for one cup)

-Sugar From Packets= 3

    -Each packet contains a teaspoon, and I like a tablespoon of sweetener with my tea

-Sugar Poured From a Canister Onto a Teaspoon=2

    -I usually pour rounded teaspoons, so 2 usually makes up a tablespoon in the end

-Honey=1 tablespoon, however you manage it

    I am not particular about my steeping time, however.  I never take out my teabag if I can help it.  Yes, I let my tea stew.  So sue me.  I know that’s tea-blasphemy to some, but, hey, I like me some strong tea.

    Okay, back to huckleberry honey.  So I bought a nice plain black tea and a nice plain green tea.  I then applied the honey formula to a cup of each.  I also took a moment to try the honey itself.  Yeah, I licked the bottom of the safety seal when I took it off.  The HBH had a much milder flavor than I thought it would.  See, I’ve always heard that the darker the honey, the stronger the flavor.  Following that logic, I assumed my new HBH would knock my socks off.  Not at all.  It actually has less bite than clover honey, which kind of nips you in the back of the throat when you eat it by itself.  Very nice, though.

    The results?  Well, number one, purple honey will absolutely change the color of your tea.  It took away the golden/amber hue from the black tea and turned it a shade or four darker brown.  As for the green tea, it actually gave it a purple hue, which was a little odd, to be sure.  It did brilliantly as a sweetener, however.  You know how the taste of clover honey stands out a bit in a cup of tea?  That’s something I personally like, but not everyone might.  Well, I couldn’t really taste the HBH in the black tea or the green tea.  It just tasted...well...sweeter...not as bitter for the black and not as much like grass for the green.

    In closing, it is my scientific opinion that huckleberry honey makes the perfect sweetener because you cannot actually taste the honey.  It could also be a really fun topping/glaze for pastries because of the color, though, it is a little pricey.  The bear was $8...worth it!