|honey bee on a cherry blossom|
|Morello cherry (sour cherry cultivar)|
Both sweet and sour cherry species originate in Europe and western Asia. Evidence suggests that humans have consumed wild cherries for thousands of years: cherry pits have been found at Bronze age settlements throughout Europe (circa 2,000 B.C.). The cultivation of cherries began around 800 B.C. in Asia Minor. As far as I can see, cultivated cherries differ from wild ones mostly by having larger fruit. This practice spread and around 300 B.C. cherries were also being cultivated by the Greeks, Persians and Romans. The Romans introduced cultivated cherries into Britain in the first century A.D. where they became very popular in the 16th century with a number of Kentish growers creating an abundance of new cultivars. In fact, the sour cherries that came with the first colonists of Massachusetts originated from the region and were called "Kentish Red."
|The department of Yonne (red), France|
Most sweet cherry trees require cross pollination; they need pollen from a different but compatible cultivar to produce fruit, whereas sour cherry trees are self-fruiting (i.e. they can be pollinated from the same cultivar to produce fruit). In both cases, very few cherry blossoms are wind-pollinated so pollinators (i.e. honey bees) are essential.
|Auxerre on the river Yonne|
|Printemps by Georges Hosotte (flowering cherry trees)|
The area round Auxerre is a beautiful region of France. It is an agricultural area. While better known for its vineyards (just 15 km east of Auxerre is Chablis, famous for its white wine), it also has impressive orchards of apple and cherry trees. In spring it must be a glorious site to see them all in bloom. Local artist Georges Hosotte has immortalized the beauty of the surrounding landscape, including cherry trees in bloom, in many of his paintings.
My cherry honey is a dark, red-brown prune color, much like the color of cooked cherry juice. It has a medium thickness, and has a slightly earthy, cooked fruit smell, but it isn't that fragrant. Cherry blossom honey is a slow crystallizer but I understand that when it does crystallize the color changes a little, taking on yellow tints. My honey was collected this spring and hasn't begun to crystallize at all.
|Miel de Cerises, Auxerre, France|
Nadia and Bruno Poissonnier's honey is not commercially available (I understand it is collected in very small batches, and for family and friends only) but I did find a few online sites that sell cherry blossom honey, so with only a few clicks you might also enjoy this rare and flavorful honey.