Saturday, April 12, 2014

In unrelated news,

I have solved a mystery!

First, here are a few glosses:
miel = honey
abeja = bee (not to be confused with sheep)
agave = this really awesome desert plant I learned about in highschool; it grows in mostly Mexico and it can be used for literally everything I can think of to use a plant for—and a few more things.  You can drink agave tea (to cure plenty of ailments) or ferment it to make a pretty strong liquor.  You can make soap out of it.  You can use its fibers for thread—and the tips of its leaves for needles.  It can also make rope.  Maybe paper too, but I'm not 100% on that.  It has been used as a writing implement (maybe ink as well but I'm not sure again).

So let's go back to bees for a second.  In the Dominican Republic, the niƱos always called honey "miel de abeja", and my Co-boss and I were always a little confused.  Why would they specify that it's bee honey?  What other kind of honey is there?

Answer:  Agave honey!  I discovered it in my lab this week; my lab director uses it to sweeten his coffee.  "Miel de agave", it's called.

The mystery has been solved.

I had Earl Grey tea with agave honey in it the other day—an experience I'm eager to repeat.  Transatlantic teatime!

1 comment:

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