Why is every cell in a honeycomb a hexagon?   Why do bees build perfect hexagon cells when they could build honeycombs from rectangles, squares or triangles?  Scientists have tackled this question for hundreds of years, and every study began with the premise that bees want a tight, secure storage structure for honey that is as simple to build as possible.    

Generating the wax for the cells and then making the cells costs the bees in food for energy and time.  For bees to assemble a honeycomb, it’s simpler for each cell to be exactly the same.  If the sides are all equal – perfectly hexagonal- every cell fts tight with every other cell then a honey comb is basically an easy jigsaw puzzle.  All the parts fit.  Honey Bees – Nature’s Mathematicians

Taken from Hive Tracks, June, 2022

If you’re reading this, you probably already know that mustard is generally made from three varieties of mustard seed — white/yellow, brown and black. The whole, ground, cracked, or bruised mustard seeds are mixed with water, vinegar, lemon juice, wine, or other liquids, salt and other spices, to create a paste or sauce ranging in color from bright yellow to dark brown.

Prepared mustards vary in the secondary spices and in the preparation of the mustard seeds. For example, “whole-grain mustard” (Buzz Savories style) retains some unground or partially ground mustard seeds; Irish mustard is a whole-grain mustard blended with whiskey, stout or honey; Karashi is a spicy Japanese mustard.

We’re proud of the recipes we created as the basis of Buzz Savories Honey Mustard and Spicy Beer Mustard, but we’re fascinated by the ingenuity mustard-makers have employed — sometimes over centuries — to make a condiment that’s widely used in cuisines throughout the world. Here are a few examples you may not have encountered.

Hot pepper mustard. Chili peppers of various strengths are used to make a variety of more piquant mustards. Peppers or hot sauce made from peppers are added to mustards to create extra heat.

Fruit mustards. Fruit and mustard have been combined since the 14th century. Traditional variations include apple mustard (traditional in Mantua and very hot), quince (or mostarda vicentina, mild and with a jam-like appearance), and cherry mustard.

Spirited mustards. Spirited mustards are made with alcoholic spirits, including whisky, peach brandy, cognac, and the Irish “pub” mustard mentioned above.

Sweet mustard. Sweet mustard is sweetened with sugar, apple sauce, or honey and typically served with Weisswürste, a traditional Bavarian sausage, although other types of sweet mustards are known in Austria and Switzerland.

Although there may not be a Buzz Savories hot pepper mustard in our lineup yet, we are always keeping an eye out for interesting new recipes. If you have one to share, send it along to [email protected].

We recently read an interview with actor Stanley Tucci that got us thinking. Tucci was talking about the similarities between creative pursuits like acting, directing and cooking.

“When you’re cooking, you have to have a basic understanding of how to use a knife, what ingredients go together, how to turn the stove on. You need a certain amount of technique, but you also need imagination. And that’s exactly the same thing for painting, for acting, for directing. You have to have an understanding of the what the rules are and then make everything else up in between.”

We also heard a podcast recently noting that while the popularity of cooking shows on cable TV is at an all-time high, the number of people actually cooking continues to drop. The analogy they made was to sewing; in years past, mothers routinely taught (at least) their daughters to sew. Today it’s a rarely practiced “hobby.”

We think that’s sad. Nowadays, take-out is easy, and, in the post-Covid era, delivery is ubiquitous. To be fair, frozen meals have come a long way from Swanson TV Dinners, but it misses the point that there is more to food than the eating of it. If you think about preparing a meal like you might think about drawing a picture or writing a poem — or (like Tucci) acting a scene with Meryl Streep — you can appreciate the nuance that goes into it.

If you have not yet, we hope you’ll take a moment to visit our Recipes page to see what inspiration you might find. Cooking is one of our great pleasures and we hope you’ll join us on the journey.

It’s April, spring is finally here, and I’m thinking about the #1 pollinator in the world — BEES! Pollination is vital for a strong, healthy ecosystem and is the natural process by which many of the plants we eat grow and reproduce. Of course, not all pollinators are bees but you should know that one in three bites of food you eat depends on pollinators, and that bees are the best there are.

If pollinators are critical to life on the planet, what can we do to help them survive and thrive? To sustain bee life and provide nectar for their stores of honey, bees require specific flowering plants to be available during summer, their work time.

To find what flowers and flowering bushes and trees are ideal for bees in your location on the planet, we turned to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, an international nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats. Among their many resources on their website is a Pollinator Conservation Resource page featuring region-specific resources to aid in the planning, establishment, restoration, and maintenance of pollinator habitat.

For the pollinators in my town and neighborhood — and for the world — I’m planting a pollinator garden in front of my house in south central Nebraska. Last fall, we cleared a 14’x14’ patch of lawn which is now ready to amend and till. My intent is to photograph this project as it goes along and to share the images in future editions of the Buzz.

I hope you’ll feel inspired to follow along, perhaps even prepare a patch of earth for pollinator plants of your own. See my plot as it looks the first week of April. I will plant the seeds soon and then watch it grow.  Join me.

One of the things I really like about Buzz Savories Honey Mustard and Spicy Beer Mustard is that they are pantry ingredients that can really change a flavor profile — creating a pleasing new taste — with something as simple as swapping out one component of the recipe for another.

For example, we’ve written about a great sauce for steamed broccoli or other vegetables can be had by simply combining Buzz Savories mustards with mayonnaise. Or how a simple honey mustard vinaigrette can be transformed using our whole-grain mustards instead of the processed varieties you find at the grocery store.

If you’re looking for another example of how truly fast and simple it can be to prepare a gourmet-worthy weeknight meal with Buzz Savories Honey Mustard, try Pork Chops with Jammy-Mustard Glaze.

Mix together water, Buzz Savories Honey Mustard and any fruit preserve that’s good with pork like cherry, fig, peach or apricot. Sear bone-in pork chops mostly on one side to prevent overcooking, then pour the fruit-mustard mixture along with a dash of neutral oil into the skillet while they rest. The pork will stay moist, and its juices will have time to mingle with the sauce. Add a salad and mashed or roasted potatoes and you have a treat for your family or dinner for guests.

Our recipes collection is filled with easy ways to bring a dash of gourmet to the table. Explore it and see what you discover.

If you’ve never taken a few moments to explore our recipe collection, there’s no time like the present. We have delicious menu ideas from salads and appetizers to main dishes and desserts. Dive into our collection and see what appeals to you.

For instance, if you’re looking for an elegant but simple dinner to impress the in-laws or the boss, why not try the elegant Filet de Boeuf a’ la Moutarde aux Champignons (Filet Mignon with Mushroom and Mustard Sauce). Our Spicy Beer Mustard is the textbook accent for the flavors of rich, earthy mushrooms, and of course the addition of cognac and heavy cream doesn’t hurt the final presentation. Try roasting it with matchsticks of zucchini and/or Brussel sprouts or broccolini in the same oven, then, to complete an elegant meal, simply add a crusty baguette and a nice glass of French wine.

Or, say you’re providing desert for a small family gathering and everybody is tired of chocolate cake and brownies. Try a Buzz Savories Honey Pie. With only four ingredients and a frozen pie shell, it’s easy to make and its flavor is a winner whenever it’s on the menu. Make the meal really special by serving it with a graceful Chai Tea using Buzz Savories light, single-source, artisanal honey.

Looking for an interesting salad? We have several. In the fall, We like a Nebraska grown Power Salad of Red Russian Kale, Lettuce, Spinach, Brussel sprouts, vine-fresh apples, and cashews. Or how about Spicy Beer Mustard Aioli? Our version includes garlic, salt, olive oil, and egg, and, of course, a generous couple of tablespoons of Buzz Savories Spicy Beer Mustard.

A backyard barbecue, of course, is one place in particular for mustard to play a leading role. In the height of summer, we like to grill sweet corn until the kernels char, and then slather each ear of corn with a mixture of Buzz Savories Spicy Beer Mustard blended with olive oil, garlic and salt. When well-slathered, we put them back on the grill for more charring and more flavor.

Regular readers know that we often recommend substituting whole grain Buzz Savories Honey Mustard or Spicy Beer Mustard in recipes that call for Dijon, but we thought the topic deserved a deeper exploration.

While Dijon and whole grain mustards have a similar taste profile, they have distinctly different textures. Whole grain mustard is made with whole and lightly ground mustard seeds while the seeds used to make Dijon have usually been thoroughly ground. Mustards like Buzz Savories’ have a chunky consistency that puts the seeds up front.

Whole grain mustard and Dijon have conspicuously different histories as well. Dijon mustard comes from Dijon in France (it must, in order to be marketed as “Dijon”) and was first made in the 18th century by Auguste Poupon and Maurice Grey. Whole grain mustard, on the other hand, appears to be an American invention (and a relatively recent one), with early mentions dating back only to the 1970s and ‘80s.

Contrary to what you might presume, whole grain mustard is somewhat milder in flavor than Dijon. The mildness comes from the fact that the mustard seeds are unground. When mustard seeds are ground, they create a compound called allyl isothiocyanate which in turn creates the heat and pungency we associate with Dijon mustard. If consistency is important in your recipe, but you want a milder flavor, give the whole grain mustard a spin in your food processor or blender before use

Buzz Savories whole grain mustards work great as a substitute for Dijon mustard if you want a milder condiment or one with a more distinctive mouthfeel. You can use whole grain mustard just like you would use any other mustard as long as you like the mild flavor and chunky mouthfeel. Its appearance makes it a visually dramatic addition to cheese boards and charcuterie platters. It can also be enjoyed in a vinaigrette.

Go beyond Dijon. Do some experimenting with Buzz Savories Honey Mustard and Spicy Beer Mustard to add some interesting new tastes to your menu.

Not everyone does, but I like sharp, distinctive tastes — the tang of a cornichon or green olive, a corner of horseradish, spicy salsa, a jolt of straight alcohol, or the sinus-cleansing snap of a dollop of sturdy mustard.

We don’t sell pickles, olives, horseradish or, for that matter, alcohol, so this week we’re going to suggest three ways to use Buzz Savories Honey Mustard and Spicy Beer Mustard that perhaps you haven’t considered.

Mix it with butter. Although cream cheese may be your first thought to go with smoked salmon on a bagel or toasted baguette, a zesty alternative is to mix a stick of butter with 2 tablespoons of either Honey Mustard or Spicy Beer Mustard. Our mustards are dense and grainy and when mixed with butter, a little fresh dill and lemon zest, make the perfect bed for a savory slice of smoked salmon.

Make a vinaigrette. A mustard dressing is a classic on tender greens, but it’s also delicious with sweet roasted parsnips and turnips or a zippy coleslaw. To make a rich mustard dressing without much oil, bake it first. Here’s how. Heat the oven to 325° and line a baking sheet with foil. Spread Dijon on the baking sheet about a quarter-inch thick and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until a crust forms on the surface and the mustard feels slightly firm.

In a blender, combine the baked mustard with lemon juice, vinegar and capers, and blend until smooth. With the blender on, drizzle in olive oil or canola oil until thick. Finishing trick: transfer the dressing to a jar; stir in a generous dollop of Buzz Savories Spicy Beer or Honey Mustard, season with salt and serve.

Make a creamy mustard sauce for pasta. Try this when you’re weary of marinara. Cook and drain the pasta and set aside. Brown Italian sausage with olive oil, then add a glass of dry white wine and simmer until reduced by half, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add heavy cream and about three tablespoons of Buzz Savories Spicy Beer or Honey Mustard and simmer for a couple more minutes. Remove from heat, add the pasta and a generous amount of fresh basil, and serve immediately. Yum.