Woodland, CA — You’ve probably done wine tastings, cheese tastings, even olive oil tastings.

But have you ever indulged in a honey tasting?

If not, you need to experience one — pronto.

At The Hive Tasting Room & Kitchen, the largest honey tasting room in California, you can sample honey that naturally tastes like marshmallows (Northwestern Meadowfarm from Central Oregon), cardamom (California Coriander from the Sacramento Valley), Red Hots (High Plains Sweet Clover from the Midwest), and so much more.

I had the pleasure of doing exactly that last month when I was invited in for a visit.

Ishai Zeldner grew fascinated with bee keeping while living in Kibbutz Beit Hashita in Northern Israel. So much so that when he returned to the United States, he immediately dove even further into bee research by enrolling at the University of California at Davis. He went on to become a commercial beekeeper, even bottling his own California Yellow Star Thistle honey with its delightful creme brulee-like taste.

Zeldner passed away in 2018, but not before instilling in his family a true passion for bees and honey that continues to this day.

In 2022, the family opened The Hive, where they sell more than 30 different varietals of honey from all over the United States and Mexico, as well as nut butters and honey fruit spreads.

More than just a retail shop, it’s also a place to enjoy a flight of meads or scrumptious fresh-made fare from its kitchen. The patio includes a pollinator garden where tours are held, along with tables and chairs for special themed dinners.

The 20,000-square-foot production facility is completely powered by solar, and is festooned with native plants.

Son Joshua Zeldner is the nectar director; daughter Shoshana Zeldner is director of brand strategy. And their mother, Amina Harris, holds the most coveted title of all, “Queen Bee.”

She may not have been into bee keeping before she met her husband, but it proved a natural fit with her already keen interest in health foods.

After all, she considers honey, “nature’s miracle,”

Harris, 76, recently retired from a decade at U.C. Davis, where she was the founding director of its Honey & Pollination Center at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. It was there that she created the first honey flavor and aroma tasting wheel in 2014, akin to the wine aroma wheel created by U.C. Davis’ Ann Noble.

Of all its honeys, The Hive’s biggest seller is the California Orange Blossom that’s harvested from hives in Southern California.

A key selling point? “Not all honeys smell like they taste,” Harris explains. “But this one definitely does.”

Fragrant as a big bouquet of flowers atop a bountiful bowl of fresh oranges, it’s beloved by chefs. You’ve probably had it, too, even if you didn’t know it, as it’s the featured player in Laura Chenel’s Orange Blossom Honey fresh goat cheese.

Of course, honey also flavors many items served in the cafe. From a shoebox kitchen, Executive Chef Diego Wilk creates dishes that surprise and delight.

The Hive Reuben ($18) is Harris’ go-to, and once you sink your teeth into it, you’ll know why. With tender house-made corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, pickled red onion, and homemade Russian dressing piled between toasted light rye, it’s meaty, pickle-y, piquant, and tangy all in one devilishly good bite.

The Argentinian beef empanadas ($15 for two) are crispy, flaky pockets of deep comfort with an herby chimichurri to dip into.

The pork belly chicharrones ($19) may be a bit of a misnomer as they are far more meat than crackling, but they are every bit delicious. This is where you can really taste the coriander honey in the glossy glaze enveloping these succulent morsels.

Don’t forget to indulge in a mead flight, which offers the chance to try a whole spectrum of honey wines. I particularly enjoyed the Sky River Dry Mead from Redmond, WA, which is a classic style that’s crisp and refreshing with a gentle taste of honey. The Statement by Schramm’s Mead in Ferndale, MI offers a polar opposite that’s just as satisfying but in a different way with its deep tart cherry taste.

Of course, you’ll want to pick up a jar or two or more of honey to take home, too. Honey will keep forever, Harris says, as long as it doesn’t come in contact with water. If you fret when your honey crystallizes, don’t despair because it’s the state that honey naturally gravitates to. To prevent that, she advises, store honey — and even honeycomb — in the freezer. When you want to use it, just let it come to room temperature first before letting the sweet times flow.

For more places to check out in the area, go to Visit Yolo.

More Coming Wednesday: Women Getting It Done, Part II: Sherri Wood of Capay Valley Lavender Farm