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Blás Awards - Sting in the tale

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,824 ✭✭✭Qualitymark


    Indo has it wrong; it's not Blás but Blas (no fada). It's the Irish for 'taste'.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    Apologies for that fada.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,275 ✭✭✭bpmurray


    Judging honey isn't as simply as tasting a spoonful. They first check the jar(s) and how it looks - most fail at this stage. If the honey gets past the visual part, it gets into the taste part, and they consider all sorts of thing - beyond me, really.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    The report says an award was won. But as they are re-testing we must wait to see what they find.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,275 ✭✭✭bpmurray


    I heard about her honey - the rumour at the time was that it was cheap stuff imported from China. It should be easy to check from pollen - if there's none, it's been over-filtered, and consequently it can't be marketed as honey in the EU, or if the pollen is of non-Irish plants, it's a dead giveaway that it's not from her bees.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,824 ✭✭✭Qualitymark


    Jellybaby1 wrote: »
    Apologies for that fada.

    Heh, wasn't getting at you - it annoys me that the Indo can't be bothered, though.

    I don't think agricultural show judges are normally expected to test pollen; it's a matter of trust, normally, and according to this

    http://www.sydneyroyal.com.au/Showing_Honey_at_Agricultural_Shows_FINAL_2.pdf

    they judge on things like aroma, clarity, pour, taste and so on. Nobody expects someone to bring in may-be-from-several-countries honey and pass it off as her own (bees') work!

    Blas has a page on this: http://www.irishfoodawards.com/clarification-query-regarding-irish-bee-sensations-honey/

    This is from when the late winner was still alive: http://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/news/psni-and-garda-seek-food-festival-winner-31161258.html


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    I get quite angry over this sort of thing, especially as I know a man who is a beekeeper and he is a most diligent and honest man when it comes to his bees and his honey. This carry on sours things for everyone else involved, judges and entrants alike.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,824 ✭✭✭Qualitymark


    Maybe they need to send a sample from winners to be pollen-tested, and publicise this - that would soon end cheating.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    This is probably just the one time it happened, but it might give other dubious characters ideas, so probably better in the long run to get it tested in my opinion.


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