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Bee pollen is the new honey

Chefs tell us why they are increasingly using it as a go-to ingredient in dishes and drinks

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Clockwise: Avocado And Truffle Bee Pollen Aioli Toast at St Regis Mumbai; Nuts & bolt at Poh; All The Honey In The World at The Looney The Lover and The Poet; Bees & Flowers at Mustard, and What The Wow at TheDaily Bar & Kitchen
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Honey has often been referred to as the nectar of the gods and men. For centuries, this liquid gold has been used to flavour dishes and has also served as a beauty supplement and a medicinal aid. And now, with an increasing focus on eating healthy and green, it is slowly being cornered by bee pollen pellets — another offering from the same family.

How pellets replaced liquid honey?

Bee pollen is procured from Apis melliflera (honeybees). As the honeybees go around gathering nectar, the pollen in the flowers gets stuck to their legs. The bees then carry this pollen back to their hives, which is then collected by beekeepers over a period of time. Chefs too have woken up to this powerhouse of nutrients and are using it in both food and drinks. Here’s why?

Bee pollen is the new superfood

Loaded with minerals, healthy fats and proteins, bee pollen presents a strong case for being picked as a versatile ingredient that is anti-inflammatory and also boosts immunity. That’s why chefs are willing to work with it as it’s not cloyingly sweet and gives a subtle sweet note to both dishes and drinks. Thanks to its many health benefits it has become the new superfood. Head chef Harish Devadkar of The Looney The Lover and The Poet shares, “Bee pollen is a superfood that hasn’t got its due. A powerhouse of nutrients, it’s gluten free, too! We have not only used it in salads and smoothies but have also created a dessert with it. We wanted to come up with an offbeat dessert 
using honey. 

So, we went a step ahead and made it all about honey! It has a funky, acquired taste and has been used to offset the floral and sweet notes of the cake and honey chamomile ice cream.”

From bowls to drinks

Intially, most places, both in India and abroad, used bee pollen as a garnish. From oatmeal bowls it soon made its way into smoothies, and now you can find it in cocktails/mocktails and desserts too. Executive sous chef, Yogen Adep, The St Regis, Mumbai, tells us why. He says, “Bee pollen has a sweet, nutty delicate flavour. So, it’s best used as a topping. It is good for immune functions and gives you a dose of energy.” 

Clearly, it’s sweet nature has won over clean eaters.

An aromatic garnish that’s acquired taste

While honey has long been used as a flavouring agent, bee pollen serves a dual purpose — adding sweetness and acting as an aromatic garnish. 

Evgenya Prazdnik the mixologist at newly-opened Mustard pins down the sudden emergence of bee pollen as a go-to ingredient, on a quest for a natural sweetner. Taking inspiration from the classic prohibition cocktail Bee’s Knee (made with gin, lemon and honey) Evgenya has given it her own twist by using bee pollen infused gin, Acacia honey syrup, lemon and camomile foam. She says, “The idea was to pop the honey not as a sweetener but to give honey power to the body of the drink as well. It enhances the taste of the spirit without making it sweet. Hence, making it a priceless flavouring agent. It also gives the drink a natural yellow colour and is a fantastic aromatic garnish too.” Head Bartender at The Daily, Rohit Hegde, agrees and adds, “Apart from the fact that bee pollen is extremely good for health, the texture is soft and fluffy and it’s slight sourness really brings about an interesting twist to a drink.”

And it’s all thanks to the clean eating movement and millennials who are always looking for healthier, organic alternatives. Thanks to their efforts, bee pollen pellets are slowly moving away from the exotic tag to claim the more 
essential one.

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