The Honey Trail: In Pursuit of Liquid Gold and Vanishing Bees

by Grace Pundyk

A unique look at the history, culture, tradition, and environmental impact of honey The Honey Trail is a global travel narrative that looks at different aspects of how honey and bees are being affected by globalization, terrorism, deforestation, the global food trade, and climate change. This unique book not only questions the state of our environment and the impact it is having on bees and honey, it also takes readers on an adventure across Yemeni deserts and Borneo jungles, through the Mississippi Delta and Tasmania’s rainforests, over frozen Siberian snowscapes and ancient Turkish villages all in search of the liquid gold known as honey. Including fascinating insights such • A bee produces only a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime • China is the world’s largest honey producer • Honey is only used as medicine in Borneo • There are more than thirty-five mono-floral honeys in Tuscany.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Animals, Travel, Nature, History

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a honey lover I really enjoyed this book. If you enjoy honey...and learning new things...I'd recommend this book. LOVED the pictures in the middle too!

[Charity Finnestad · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll be spreading it on everything you eat after reading this book. Loved it!

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed traveling the world with honey as the particular focus. It made me realize how precious is the very local and untainted "coulee" honey we get from our neighbor. Pundyk includes data and science, but she is most delightful when describing the people and the widely different cultures she encounters. "The Bedouin say that when you leave one place behind and travel to another it takes at least four months for your soul to arrive (p. 102)." And yet, her journey was definitely soul-full. "Honey is the United Nations of the food world. The one ingredient that heals and soothes. That speaks of lost civilizations and distant migration. That conjures images of the deserts and mountains from whence it comes. That tells of the evolution and adaptability of plants. That reveals the history of us, if only we can take the time to listen and look a little closer (p. 16)."

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

Nonfiction. Part travelogue, part history lesson, part Apis expert...this book was super interesting. The author travels the world visiting bee hives from the giant corporations to the very backwoods of places like Siberia and Yemen looking for the Mom and Pop bee stands. Beekeeping goes back to the ancients even before 1450 B.C. and the author certainly gives you a lesson in all things honey. She'll have you checking the liquid gold in your cabinet to see what part of the world it came from and is it real or blended? Right now I'm enjoying a gift of Manuka Honey UMF 10+ from New Zealand and now I know what that heck that is! Very educational read.

[Jordyn Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my writing class in college and it was a very interesting read, that before this class I had no idea of this problem going on. The book talks about prevalent and important problems that occur in society today on topic that has no real voice. A lot of the writing goes to a deeper level, that does make it a little harder to read and get into, but covers a very prominent issue. The author gets into depth about an ongoing bee phenomenon known as CCD (colony collapse disorder, and the lack of knowledge and information that has been covered on the issue.

[Carla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoning this, unfortunately. Between the childish font and the inability of the author to be objective, I couldn’t stand it anymore. When visiting Yemen, she discusses how she made one of her hosts to promise her he would educate his daughters...not saying I disagree with educating women but...the audacity and the complete lack of relevance? Unreal. Spare me the White Savior narrative and tell me about honey. I’ll search for another book that is capable of the latter, since this one is not.

[Dan Laubach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I love bees and beekeeping. But I just couldn't get into it. It was such a chore to finish. Perhaps because it was in a travel journalism style that I'm unfamiliar reading...
I enjoyed seeing all the pictures in the middle of the book. And I valued her thoughts and reflections at the end of the book.
As a native of the US I also thought her writings about the US food system we're spot on.

[Deborah Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweeeeet! What a great way to do travel-writing; in pursuit of the various honeys of the world and conducting interviews about the plight of the mamy species of bees.
I buy honey in every country I visit - without really knowing why - and this book was a thrill for me to read! It's chock full of great stories as well as important facts about our little 'busy bodies', the bees.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so disappointed. I really REALLY wanted to like this book. I found it too fragmented. I thought there were so many different tangents and not enough substance that I lost interest about half of the way through it.

[Mihai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting global journey attempting to piece together a comprehensive picture of the honey market in the beginning of the 21st century. I enjoyed the travelogue format of the book, with the author doing a good job mixing the detailed research constituting the bulk of the investigation with honest descriptions of her experiences visiting such diverse places as Yemen, Australia, New Zealand, Borneo, Britain, Italy, Russia, Turkey, United States and China. The chapter on her home country of Australia was particularly personal in nature, revealing that The Honey Trail was about Pundyk's search for her own identity and sense of belonging as much as it was about learning about various types of honey and the forces driving their supply and demand.

That said, the book feels incoherent and vague at times, without a smooth story arc connecting the various chapters. Though Pundyk mentions transition from some countries, it is unclear whether she did all her travel in one long sweep, or if she broke it up in segments. Dates of travel are also scarcely mentioned - this could have helped the reader with temporal orientation. While some visits are better planned than others, details appeared to be left out, giving the impression that Pundyk relied on serendipity as much as she did on a planned course of action. In the end she was able to assemble a captivating narrative out of all the separate stories, but it's hard to see how anyone could hope to replicate this experience, even parts of it.

I shouldn't nitpick on the travel part though. After all, this is a book about honey and the critical importance of bees to the entire world's existence, providing some eye-opening revelations about some of the things we take for granted (but that are actually at risk). The chapter on the U.S. was probably the weakest part of The Honey Trail, and I was disappointed to see Pundyk didn't put more effort into connecting with the American honey-making tradition, nor, for that matter, pursuing the sampling of the flagship honey of the South with more vigor. And given Argentina's importance, it is inexplicable that country's dynamics are not mentioned even briefly despite the author's inability to visit in person. In fact, there should have been a more ample discussion at the end about the other important players in the global honey market, in order to give the reader the full view - assuming, of course, that the "pursuit of liquid gold" is indeed an international affair.

This is still a great read and is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the subject matter. Would rate 3.5 stars if I could, but not 4.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned some things about bees, honey, and its international trade, and will be paying a little more attention to where the honey I buy originates and what’s really in the jar. However, this book is mostly the author’s travelogue, and not an overly interesting one at that. If she gained something substantial or revolutionary from her journey, she neglected to share. Some sections (countries) were somewhat interesting, but on any number of occasions I found myself saying “OK, 30 pages… One country… You can do it!” and finishing it just from sheer stubbornness. Needless to say the last chapter takes an odd turn, and I ended the book wondering if it was really worth the effort, but I give it two stars…it was ok… given that I did pick up a few things…

And despite the descriptions on the book (also used as the description on this site)… honey is not “only used as medicine in Borneo.” According to the author, New Zealand is marketing honey with a UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) label that addresses its healing properties. For more information… that chapter you might want to read, and for the record – this would be one of the tidbits I did pick up. Last but not least honey is used as medicine here in the US - if you ask my Mom what’s best for a sore throat, she’ll say tea with lemon and honey.

[Barrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's your standard Michael Pollan meets Anthony Bourdain meets Vegetable, Animal, Miracle but all about honey and bees and their eventually demise (which could ultimately mean our eventual demise). There are some interesting tidbits, but nothing had me really pity the bees. I wanted to see more of the dark side of the honey industry (like in Fast Food Nation) to really hate the big bag honey corporations and do what all these books beg you to do - buy local, buy organic. Instead the author just went on and on about all the nice (albeit weird) beekeepers she met along her obsessive mission to meet nice (albeit weird) beekeepers. I think I would have gotten a whole lot more out of this book if she knew more firsthand knowledge about the actual topic on hand - but in fact, she was never a beekeeper, so in a way she was useless. That would be like if I wrote a book about law and wasn't a lawyer, but I liked George Washington. Something was just a tad off.

All that aside, the book did have its good parts and if you want to learn about the ongoing stresses that honey is currently under, this could be a decent primer.

[Elise Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a bee lover and excitedly purchased this book from a used book store. I really enjoy how she separated the chapters into different countries. Overall, I was dissapointed. The sub title lead me to believe that I would learn a lot more about the scientific side of the bee world. It was not until the final chapter when this was touched on, and poorly at that. She did, however, give a seemingly accurate recollection of the events shared in the final chapter. I came away learning that the economics and governing of honey is much trickier than I supposed. Once again the USA has unsurprisingly poor food regulations. I do plan to try and find me some Manuka honey from New Zealand, though!

Fun fact: Another great aspect of supporting your local honey apiaries is that we are less likely to be affected with regional allergies. Due to the bees frequently coming into contact with plant life in our environments, by eating honey we build up a slight immunity to allergens caused by the plants which may irritate us! (Not from book)

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prior to reading this book I thought that honey only came in that little bear-shaped bottle from the grocery store. Follow Grace Pundyk in her journey across Yemen, Australia, New Zealand, Borneo, Russia, UK, Italy, Turkey, US and China in search of each country's honey secrets. She has a great way of explaining the place and taste, so good that I added a couple of countries to my bucket list. Even though this book was published in 2010, I found it interesting to read about the colony collapse disorder, which is still occurring today, with no better answers than were known back then. I loved the historical and cultural aspects of the honey harvest from each of her visits and vow to never purchase that little bear again!

[Ryan Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're wanting to learn about honey and take a trip around the world this book is for you. Grace Pundyk takes you from Tasmania, to Australia, the US, China, Borneo, and other exotic locales on the hunt for honey and the intriguing little insects that make it. Unfortunately, the second part of this book led to believe there would be more on Colony Collapse Disorder in this. There wasn't much. But, it was enjoyable. And if you want to experience other cultures, see what other kinds of honeys exist out there in the great big world, or just enjoy a good travel memoir, this book is for you. For the science enthusiast or apiarist however, this offers little in the way of information on CCD.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primarily a fiction reader who doesn't eat honey, I may just be converted. Delving into the intricacies of honey production around the world, Pundyk allows readers to vicariously experience the joys and frustrations of her travels without neglecting the informational element. More notably, her passion for the ancient tradition of beekeeping and the "liquid gold" it produces is provocative and entirely contagious. The only drawback is that the book did lack a little of the rosy sheen so enchanting in fiction. Maybe I'm only partially converted after all.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really really excited to read this book, I love bees and honey and thought it was a great concept. Turns out in practice...not so much. Got a little preachy and like a travel diary on me. Yes, it was great that she went on this trip, but I would have liked her to explain things more in depth. Explain the trade systems, and the way everything integrates. Personal stories are great, but I would have liked a lot more facts and a better balance of interviews. The story felt very one sided to me.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

To quote the recommendation I got for this book: "It's an interesting subject, she's just not a very good writer"-- pretty much sums it up. What should have been fascinating, especially since, to me, bees are tiny fuzzy golden gods and honey is the nectar of our love, was reduced to some stories from a bunch of different countries that all told me pretty much the same things about honey and its production, too much about the author, and painted shallow, inconsequential tales of all the rest of the people involved. Not enough buzz for the buck.

[David Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Honey Trail: In Pursuit of Liquid Gold and Vanishing Bees by Grace Pundyk (St. Martin’s Press 2008) (638.16). This is an interesting tale of honey production and bee populations worldwide. It considers the effect of globalization, deforestation, the global food web, and climate change on honeybees and the ensuing production of honey. My rating: 4/10, finished 10/1/2010.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, she is a good writer, but not a compelling one. This book received a great deal of press and I fell for it. It is more a memoir or travel book, and less a study of the bee crisis. If you are new to this topic, this book is a good starting point, especially as it concerns worldwide production. But to learn in depth, try Sue Hubbell or Holley Bishop.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much (or more?) about travel/culture as honey. I enjoyed it, but it started to feel redundant in the middle. I got restless. But then it picked up for me again at the end in the chapters about the U.S. and China, not so much because of any great insights or information about honey, but because of the commentary on food systems generally in those countries.

[Alice Sujata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first heard about this book on The Diane Rehm Show and bought it the same day.

Her detailed accounts of following bee keepers around the world gives the reader a broader view of the culture, market, and ecology of the countries she visited.
I wish she had saved the chapter on Yemen for last. It was the most exciting.

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I were to travel around, finding honey, it would be like this...a little haphazard, sometimes ridiculous. Except I'd be married to Ishmael the Turk, instead of Gerhardt the German. And my obsession with bees continues...

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recalled by the library before I could finish it, but the book was losing steam for me at that point, anyway. Really interesting story and Pundyk did a ton of travel research, I just wish the book had been compressed to 2/3rds of its length.

[Dholsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author did a ton of research and went out of her way to really learn not only about the types of honey, but the issues linked with the honey industry. The author discovers that she is not always welcomed and has some unpleasant experiences at various airports.

[Ginger · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I've given up on finishing this book. I have not found it interesting enough....

[Sharen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it so far, wonderful reading how different countries handle the commodity of honey and the bees.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and well-written. Covers the author's travels learning about native bees and honey production in disparate parts of the world.

[Charity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only vaguely interesting not compelling. Less about bees than the author's travels. More about her than honey. Yawn, I put it down after 100 or so pages.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at global honey production; makes you want to run out and save the bees, even if you don't care for honey.