miele / honey

In the arnia (beehive), api (bees) produce miele for the apicoltore (beekeeper).

We always had miele in the house, and we used it for two reasons:

1. to treat sore throat (one teaspoonful eaten as is or added to a hot beverages)
2. to drip over the version of strufoli (fried Carnival pastries) that is typical of Perugia. 

My mother makes very good strufoli and I am planning to get her recipe soon and try to follow it next Carnival (Carnevale). Strufoli are made in other parts of Italy as well, but they are different. Fried pastries of various kinds are a Carnival tradition throughout Italy. In my opinion this is a result of a desire to eat rich dishes before Lent put severe restrictions on the diet. On this page there are some photos.

In Italian we don't use miele as a term of endearment. Honey used in reference to a person would be dolcezza (which literally means sweetness). We also say dolce come il miele (as sweet as honey).  If a food is mieloso it means it is sweet-tasting, but the adjective can also be applied metaphorically to mean sugary.

As a little kid, one day I was walking on the beach and stepped onto a dead bee, whose pungiglione (sting) got into my heel. My parents brought me to the emergency room (pronto soccorso). But maybe it was not a bee, maybe it was a vespa (wasp). This word may very well evoke the famous Italian moped. I never had one, but certainly would have liked it. Thanks to advertisements, movies (a relatively recent one that comes to mind is Respiro, starring Valeria Golino) and also reports of visitors, Vespa is a sort of quintessential Italian transportation means. According to the company web site, Vespa is 60 years old.

If you have visited Italy you may have also seen Ape (bee), the 3-wheel vehicle also made by Piaggio (like Vespa), which is widely used for delivery, because, given its small size, can easily maneuver Italian narrow streets. 

[This post was inspired by Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita, who would like to get a Vespa.]

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Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post: 

miele

or launch the miele audio file [mp3].

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Comments

[Julia]

During our stay in Tuscany last year, our "landlord" kept bees. We followed him (not too closely!) while he donned his suit, lit his smoke can, then opened and examined each of the hives. He gave us a little jar of honey, also, and it was delicious.

[Maryann]

You did it Simona! haha..I am smiling ear to ear!I didn't know vespa meant wasp.
We make strufoli around the holidays. There is another dessert like this. It has almonds, honey and hard fried/baked dough pieces. Do you know the name of this? I can't think right now :)

[Kevin]

I have seen many an Ape. Are those really your only two uses for honey?!

[Simona]

Hi Julia, that was an interesting experience and I can imagine how good the honey was.

Hi Maryann: it was a bit of a challenge and I am glad you like where I went with your request. As for the dish you are describing, I am afraid I need a bit more details. Does is look like the top photo on the page I mention above? The name may be different: I have found that 'cicirieddi' is used in Puglia.

Hi Kevin. I have to admit I don't use honey when I cook, though that is changing.

[Katie]

Yes, the do sound like bees. Driving in Barcelona, we would stop at a stoplight, the swarm (of vespas) would come up behind us, pass us to be in front then all take off at once...just like bees/wasps!

[Maryann]

Yes, Simona, it looks just like that only the dough is roped then cut in small pieces and baked. It is more dense and hard where the strufoli is light and airy.Then it is put together with roasted whole almonds and honey with candy sprinkles on top.

[Simona Carini]

I know, Katie, the noise can be quite annoying.

Maryann, indeed in the cicerchiata the dough is cut into small pieces that are dense, not airy like strufoli. After it is assembled, it is cut like a cake.

[Maryann]

Of course you are right. I googled it, found a photo and yes,thanks!

[Lisa]

I love all the Vespas in Italy! In Florence a few years ago we saw a woman come out of a building; she wore a mink coat and had a cigarette in her mouth, donned her helmet, got on her Vespa, and zoomed away! It was classic.

Your photo of the honey is very nice. :)

[Paz]

Dolcezza. I like that. ;-)

Paz

[Simona Carini]

You are welcome, Maryann.

Indeed, Lisa, an Italian classic.

I agree, Paz.

[fabdo]

Nice post as usual ;)
At my parents', and also in my house now, we use to have honey, for the same reasons you've mentioned above. Sure it helps treating a sore throut!
In Brindisi (Puglia) we also have for Carnival our version of hard fried dough pieces soaked in warm honey: purcidduzzi. In the other provinces of my region, the same delicacy has different names like cunfritti, porcedduzzi, chiacchiere, etc. Maybe Maryann is referring to some of them.

[Simona Carini]

Thanks Fabdo. I saw some of the names you mentioned as I was browsing the web. I am wondering whether the name is connected to piglets. I hope we can make some of these traditional sweets for Carnival next year.

[Josephine Armano]

I am trying to help my friend to find a recipe for a pasta she remembers her grandmother making. It was like a flattened out rigatoni then topped with nuts and honey and maybe raisins and served as a pasta dish. Do you know what it could be?

[Simona Carini]

Hello Josephine, your description reminds me of a dish typical of central Italy, which exists in a few variations, called maccheroni con le noci. I read that originally it was served as a pasta dish, while now it is more often served as dessert, cold. I have never eaten it, as it is not part of my family tradition. Note that maccheroni in this case refers to long, eggless pasta.