#WorldBeeDay2021

Let them bee! Today is #worldbeeday and Honey & Truffles couldn’t be happier to share the celebration with you!

I have to say that I’m kind of lucky to have found a friend like Giorgia, otherwise known as the eco-warrior @ggalaska, because not only is she a great person, but she also is kind of a big deal, which means she gets invited to a lot of events. Being the generous and thoughtful green influencer she is, Giorgia invited me to the World Bee Day event hosted by Green Pea in collaboration with Eataly. Thrilled to join, I accepted immediately!

While Giorgia had been busy a few days prior visiting the bee hives at Rigoni d’Asiago, yesterday was filled with diffusing bee knowledge and helping plant a bee garden at Eataly! In addition to sowing seeds, we also learned a bit about Green Pea and Eataly’s initiatives to create greener spaces and their partnerships with various brands like Beeopak, which use beeswax to create reusable wraps.

We also were able to enjoy an amazing aperitivo consisting of artfully prepared spuntini like gazpacho con taralli; fava di cacao, pistachio and Seirass; cold pea croup with shaved asparagus, bett dust and sambucci flowers; and crostini with miele di acacia and Slow Food Presidia Castelmagno cheese!

But that’s not all, we were given a goodie bag of bee-friendly seeds to plants along with some other eco-based products like a notebook and pens made from recycled paper, a chart listing produce seasonality and a great canvas tote bag!

During the presentation we even got the opportunity to do a hands-on craft, where we were asked to draw what a bee’s ideal home should look like. We were later surprised during a tour of Green Pea headquarters where they had taken our designs and printed them on sustainable cotton t-shirts for us!

Overall, we were busy bees but boy was it an exciting day. I was so thrilled that Honey & Truffles could be a part of it and I can’t wait to keep sharing all the bee and honey-focused knowledge that I’m learning everyday with all of you!

Some takeaways and tips to help #saveourbees include:

• Planting bee gardens or gowing more pollinator friendly plants (think herbs, lavender, marigolds...a variety of flowers ranging in colour and size)

• Cutting down on chemical pesticides and fertilizers

• Building bee condos complete with bee baths

• Supporting local beekeeping associations

Since almost 90% of wild plants and 75% of leading global crops depend on animal pollination, protecting these little creatures is key to sustaining life. In fact, without bees, our seasonal produce would be reduced significantly and there's nothing more boring than a bland diet. So if you see a bee in need (or don’t see any!), take action and get creative, the world will thank you!

Naturally, with all this excitement, I didn’t quite have the time to share a recipe, but know I’ve got a few recipes heading your way all with a honey focus. Plus, each recipe uses a different kind of honey and pairs it in a way that takes out any guess work…and trust me, that’s amazing because I’ve spent months trying to figure out what to do with my huge jar of chestnut honey!

As a celebration recipe, I invite you to check out Honey Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting, which are sure to delite. Keep buzzing, followers!