MORAVIA - It delights the taste buds with a sweetness so smooth, we often call loved ones by its name.

This sweet treat is honey, of course.

But what struck many recently during a free sampling at Coffee 'N Cream in Moravia were the many varieties provided by the busy bees of the Morse Mills Honey Co.

Just as wine enthusiasts slowly slosh a sip over their tastebuds, these tasters took their time sampling each variety of honey. The expression on some tester's faces turned from quizzical to quietly ecstatic after dipping their plastic forks into sampling jars and onto their tongues.

It was just the sort of reaction Kathy Fick has seen time and again during her 10 years as merchandiser for Morse Mills.

“It's fun to get people addicted to their honeys,” Fick said. “When you go into the grocery store, 90 percent of the time it's clover honey: a very mild, medium flavored honey.

Usually, they just mix whatever they had together. When you start specializing and distinguishing the different varieties, people are just amazed.”

Such was certainly the case with Julie Wade, of Moravia, who tried raspberry, peach and orange blossom. Becoming a first time believer of honey virtuosity, she waxed philosophical about being besieged by the new flavors.

“I never have tasted creamed honey before. It was very tasty; very, very good. I think it would be great on toast. And it's very good for you!” she said.

There to explain what creamed honey was, and how it can vie with the equally vivacious flavors of pure honey, was Fick.

“In January, when the honey crystallizes in the drum, the liquid is drained, and the crystallized honey is mixed into a cream and flavoring oils are added,” she said, further explaining that her testing table was set up next to the air conditioner to keep the creamed honeys - buttery in texture and flavor - below 60 degrees to prevent reversion back into honey.

“But the bees flavor the regular honey,” she continued. “Different times of the year the bees gather from different flower blossoms: basswood, blackberry, apple. You can tell this by the different coloring. The lighter the color, the lighter the taste; the darker the color, the heavier.”

Dazzling describes the distinct flavor of each natural honey.

“The lightest is actually the basswood. If you hold it up to the light, you can see it's just a little lighter than the alfalfa,” said Fick, holding the two jars up.

And how delicate and light the basswood tastes. Think of how wonderful a light fragrance of expensive perfume, with just a hint of sweetness, smells and that is the flavor. Whereas buckwheat is as rich and overpowering as a bass violin. Even the bees, noted Fick, do not like to part with their buckwheat honey.

“Usually, Earl (Downes, co-owner of Morse Mills, with wife Mary) will go out to collect the honey without the cap and half of his suit on. The bees will get on him, but he'll just brush them off,” she said. “But the buckwheat is the specialty product of the bees: they love it. They go out and attack for the buckwheat. It is actually my personal favorite.”

But Fick is discriminate with her honey, using various types to compliment what dinner she serves.

“On my table, it depends. I use cream ginger honey with my pork. It knocks your socks off! For sweet potatoes, I use basswood instead of brown sugar,” she said, adding that she always bakes with honey instead of sugar.

She said you can substitute two cups of sugar with one cup of honey. Also, if the recipe calls for 1/2 a cup of liquid, use two tablespoons of honey instead.

“It's actually sweeter, even though you're using less. Earl presses his honey, so it leaves all the original enzymes in - so it's healthier too,” Fick said. “It comes out richer and sweeter. You almost get a creamier texture to your baked goods.”

And just as any lover of wine evolves from flavor to flavor before becoming a connoisseur, Fick guides the novice honey tester down the path of discriminating tastes.

“They're apt to come and ask for a medium, middle of the road honey, so I'll start them off with clover,” she said. “Then, if they come back to try something different, I'll suggest wildflower. I try to find out what direction they're on from there: sweeter, richer, milder. I usually sell it by the color, because that's the way the different tastes range.”

Children, she advised, are also a good target for honey consumption.

“If your child is crawling the wall, put some creamed honey on a peanut butter sandwich,” she said. “It actually helps calm him down.”