Beekeepers are a curious collection of individuals. For one thing, be assured that they cut across every age, gender, national, social, political and ethnic group. What they share is a keen interest in this fascinating species and a willingness to learn and perfect specialized skills to help bees continue to thrive in a changing world.

With India having the largest number of beekeepers and beehives, totaling around 12.25 million, followed by China with about nine million, beekeepers are found in virtually every country in the world (although not so many in Antarctica).

According to the USDA, there are some 212,000 beekeepers in the U.S., with most of them hobbyists with just 3-5 hives, although the honey industry supports many large, even multi-national corporations. The USDA estimates some 10,000 people in the U.S. pursue beekeeping as a “sideline” occupation, using honey production or pollination services as an income source.

Bees are vital to the ecology because they are such efficient pollinators, with each bee visiting up to 2000 plants in a single day. Without such pollinators the world could suffer the loss of as much as a third of our supply of fruits, vegetables and nuts. As such, bees are valuable not only because they produce honey (which we might almost think of as a side benefit) but because when they are managed and used to pollinate over 100 crops grown in North America, they contribute $15 billion to the US economy every year. Many crops, such as almonds, which contribute $4.8 billion to the US industry each year, rely on honeybees for more than 90% of their pollination.

If you’re interested in helping bees, there are ways you can help that go beyond buying Buzz Savories artisanal honey and beeswax candles.

Mental Floss is an always-fascinating source of interesting stories and little-known facts on myriad subjects. Since mustard is a thing we’re interested in, we decided to see if Mental Floss had anything thought-provoking to say on the subject. And boy, did they.

Some of these tidbits we already knew and probably the same is true for you, but we bet you’ll still find a thing or two in this list to regale your friends and colleagues with the next time “favorite condiments” comes up as a topic.

Mustard and broccoli are kissing cousins. As a member of genus brassica, mustard is related not only to broccoli, but to a variety of vegetables including cauliflower, turnips, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.

Mustard is thought to be the first condiment humans ever put on their food. Egyptian pharaohs stocked their tombs with mustard seeds to accompany them into the afterlife, but the Romans were the first to grind the spicy seeds into a spreadable paste and mix them with a flavorful liquid—usually, wine or vinegar.

Mustard is a cure for what ails you. Pythagoras endorsed a poultice of mustard seeds as a cure for scorpion stings and ancient Roman physicians used it to ease toothaches. Over the years, mustard has been used for appetite stimulation, sinus clearing, and frostbite prevention. It’s now touted as a weight loss supplement, asthma suppressant, hair growth stimulant, immunity booster, cholesterol regulator, dermatitis treatment, and even as an effective method of warding off gastrointestinal cancer.  Ask your doctor if mustard is right for you.

King Louis XI didn’t travel without mustard. The French monarch considered the condiment so essential to his culinary experiences that he always kept a pot with him, so as not to be disappointed if he were to be served a meal in a household that wasn’t fully stocked.

Mustard is number two, so it tries harder. Peppercorns are the most used spice in the United States; mustard comes in second. At Buzz Savories, we’re trying to change that one jar at a time.

Two countries account for most of the world’s mustard. Together, Canada and Nepal’s crops account for more than half of global mustard production. Bet you didn’t know that one!

Let us leave you with this important reminder from Mental Floss: mustard is a plant; prepared mustard is a condiment. For fine, artisanal, hand-packed prepared Honey Mustard and Spicy Beer Mustard, visit us today at buzzsavoriesllc.com

Mustard is certainly one of mankind’s most ancient condiments. Mustard seeds have been found in Stone Age settlements, although food historians believe mustard was first cultivated in India around 3,000 B.C.E. Egyptians tossed the seeds onto their food, but it was the Sumerians who came up with the idea of grinding it into a paste and mixing it with verjus, the juice of unripe grapes. This technique was later perfected by Monks in the Dijon region of France, and, in fact, the monk’s word for mustard was mustum ardens — “must ard” — meaning “burning wine.”

By the 9th century, French monasteries were generating considerable income from prepared mustard sales, and by the 13th century, Parisian merchants included mustard among their daily sauces for sale. Pope John XXII of Avignon (1249-1334) loved mustard so much that he created the post of “Grand Moutardier du Pape” — Grand Mustard-Maker to the Pope.

The modern era of mustard may be said to have started in 1777 when two men, Maurice Grey and Antoine Poupon, used Grey’s recipe and Poupon’s money to start producing a high-quality prepared mustard. (If you’ve ever idly wondered what a poupon was or why it was grey, now you know.) Benjamin Franklin is said to have brought mustard back from England, introducing or at least boosting the condiment in the new world.

Although there are about 40 species of mustard plants, the ones used to make modern commercial mustard products are those producing black, brown and yellow mustard seed. Yellow mustard, which originated in the Mediterranean basin, is associated with bright yellow hot dog mustard; brown mustard, which originated in the Himalayas, is the basic Chinese restaurant mustard served in America and the basis for most American and European mustards. Black mustard is popular in the Middle East and Asia Minor, where it originated, but isn’t used much in the West.

Buzz Savories mustards are created in a manner very much like their ancient ancestors. They are blended of seven natural ingredients: yellow mustard seeds, brown mustards seeds, mustard powder, Olde Creamery Stout, cider vinegar, turmeric, allspice, salt, and honey. These ingredients when blended and packed and heated to 180 degrees F. taste slightly sweet (our Honey Mustard twice as sweet as our Spicy Beer Mustard), 100% savory and rich with layers of flavor.

The next time you spread Buzz Savories Spicy Beer Mustard on your ham sandwich and take a bite, savor it, and think to yourself, “You know, there’s a real history here.”

The honey you buy in the grocery store tastes all pretty much the same. It’s sweet and pleasant enough for most things, but it’s also a little bland. That’s because major manufacturers, in order to take advantage of economies of scale, often mix together and process honeys from thousands of hives, with little regard for where the honey came from.

That’s really kind of sad because honey, especially artisanal honeys such as Buzz Savories, have a distinctive terroir. Terroir (ter-wahr/) is a French term referring to the environmental factors that affect a crop’s taste and other qualities. Although most often associated with wine, terroir is also studied and appreciated in crops like coffee, chocolate, chili peppers, hops, tea and even cannabis.

The unique flavor of Buzz Savories honey comes from hives in rural south-central Nebraska where the bees feast on plum, chokecherry and elderberry blossoms as well as clover, wild mustard, prairie coneflower, goldenrod, aster and other flowers. Because it comes from a single source and is minimally processed, it retains its pure, delicate flavor with hints of flowers and spice.

Starting with Buzz Savories, of course, you can become more expert in your appreciation of artisanal honey by seeking out local brands online and when you travel. You’ll find there are wide variations in color and taste that are the product of the bees’ diet: bees that harvest nectar from avocado blossoms produce honey with a rich, buttery flavor, while bees that forage from orange groves in Florida make light, sweet orange blossom honey.

Why not get your friends to join you in an artisanal honey-tasting? You’ll find that artisanal honeys are often lighter, more delicate and subtle than the standard plastic honey-bear variety, and it’s fun to discuss, score and rank them like wine. Give it a try. And if one of your friends asks where you bought your Buzz Savories Honey, be sure to tell them.