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The AHTS's sensory training courses in honey offer students a rare opportunity to be fully immersed in the complex world of honey. Through interactive, self-testing exercises students will be guided through the methods of sensory analysis to taste and evaluate honey at an academic level. Our instructors are beekeepers and have been trained by Italian National Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey. 

The art of being a honey tasting expert is as complex as being a wine or olive oil sommelier.

 

SAMPLE COURSE OVERVIEW

 

DAY ONE

MORNING 9:00 am -13:00 pm

  • Introduction to the course, presentation of speakers and participants

  • Sensory analysis: general criteria, elements of sensory physiology, the environment, the materials, and individual variations

  • *4 basic taste trials, checking the limits of individual sensory perception

  • *Perception of flavour, aroma and other chemical perceptions

  • The Honey wheel(s)

AFTERNOON 14:30 -18:00

  • *Olfactory trials to recognize common odours

  • *Olfactory trials on unifloral honey samples (memorization)

  • Honey origin & composition.

  • Discussion

 

DAY TWO

MORNING 9.00 -13:00

  • The tasting technique

  • *Tasting of 17 single origin honey samples: description and memorizing of olfactory and gustative characteristics

  • Honey properties, nutritional properties and its use in the kitchen

AFTERNOON 14.30 -18:00

  • *Olfactory trials to recognize unifloral honey samples

  • *Tasting of crystallized honey samples (with different structures)

  • Crystallization in honey: natural process vs technology.

  • Discussion

 

DAY THREE

MORNING 9.00 -13:00

  • *Tasting of 17 single origin honey samples: description and memorizing of olfactory and gustative characteristics

  • Defective honeys: origin of the most common ones

  • *Tasting of defective honeys

AFTERNOON 14:30 -18:00

  • *Trials to recognize the unifloral honey samples

  • Honey Lab Analysis for market assessment.

  • *Triangular discriminatory tests (2)

 

DAY FOUR

MORNING 9.00 -13:00

  • Honey, Regulation and Labelling

  • *Trials to recognize the unifloral honey samples in a blending

  • *Triangular discriminatory tests (3)

AFTERNOON 14.30 -18:00

  • Possible usage of the sensory analysis

  • Evaluation methods (evaluation forms)

  • * Evaluation trials on honey provided by the participants

  • * Mock honey contest

  • Conclusion of the course and distribution of the participation certificates


• Certificate of completion awarded at the end of course.

Fully accredited toward advancing to Level I and Level II in Italy.

Seats are limited for each course, travel and accommodations are not included.

Travel information.

The AHTS's sensory training courses in honey offer students a rare opportunity to be fully immersed in the complex world of honey. Through interactive, self-testing exercises students will be guided through the methods of sensory analysis to taste and evaluate honey at an academic level. Our instructors are beekeepers and have been trained by Italian National Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey. 

The art of being a honey tasting expert is as complex as being a wine or olive oil sommelier.

* Learn the difference between taste and flavor through sensory exercises.
* Taste and learn 15 important honeys and their floral sources. 
* Learn how to identify 9 basic aromas and flavors families found in honeys. 
* Enrich your vocabulary using a using the honey aroma and flavor wheel for describing honey. 
* Learn to write detailed tasting notes for any honey sample.
* Brush up on the composition and physical properties of honey.
* Understand the how’s and why’s of crystallization and how to evaluate its qualities.
* Learn about the causes of defects in honey and how to avoid them. 

* Use your knowledge to confidently pair honey with cheeses, wines and all food groups to compliment sweet or savory dishes.
* Certificate of completion awarded at the end of course. Fully accredited toward advancing to Level I and Level II in Italy.

Seats are limited for each course, travel and accommodations are not included. Travel information.

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