Many trends come and go but some have staying power. Denim jeans for example, were patented on May 20, 1873, and were popular with miners, railroad workers and laborers. They entered the mainstream in 1934 with the introduction of women’s jeans and again in the 1950s with cool teenagers. Jeans have been trendy ever since. Hot honey might be one of the trends that has the same longevity.
Hot honey is honey infused with red chili pepper flakes and apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar. The combination of ingredients makes a delicious condiment. It has a sweet and mildly spicy flavor that pairs well with a wide range of foods and elevates many dipping sauces, glazes and dressings.
Honey has been infused with spicy ingredients as far back as ancient Egypt. People in Africa, South and Central America, and South-East Asia have been infusing honey with fiery ingredients for centuries. However, it was not until 2010 when the first drizzle of hot honey was introduced on pizzas in a Brooklyn pizzeria, that hot honey became one of the most popular food trends in U.S. history. Shortly after that it became one of the hottest world crazes thanks to social media.
A student named Mike Kurtz was studying abroad in Brazil in 2003. At a pizzeria he saw jars of chilies steeped in honey for drizzling over pizza. The flavor was amazing and inspired him when he returned to the states a year later to create his own spicy honey recipe. He gave jars of it to friends and family as gifts with the label Mike’s Hot Honey after he perfected it.
While working at Paulie Gee’s pizzeria in Brooklyn in 2010, he managed to get a pizza with hot honey onto the menu. It was an instant hit, and by 2014, Mike was bottling his hot honey for large-scale commercial production. Today, Mike’s Hot Honey and many other brands are sold in grocery stores and used in restaurants worldwide.
Many food trends come and go but this does not seem to be the case with hot honey. Although hot honey became a trend on TikTok, it was globally popular before going viral, making its appeal independent of social media. Its delicate balance between sweet and spicy lends it versatility.
Hot honey has been enjoyed on chicken wings, pork ribs, sandwiches, salads, fish, ice cream and in specialty coffee drinks and cocktails since 2010, years before its internet fame. It’s also important to remember that it was a popular pizza condiment in Brazil long before Mike’s Hot Honey was introduced to the American market.
Fast-food establishments such as KFC, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and many others chains feature hot honey menu items. Many corporate casual dining restaurants such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Shake Shack and Panera serve items that incorporate hot honey. It’s common to find hot honey sauces, dressings or as a condiment in independent Asian restaurants, sandwich shops, pizzerias, BBQ joints and even some finer dining places. Hot honey snack food editions such as popcorn, potato chips, crackers and nuts are common in grocery stores.
Hot honey tastes great but also makes you physically feel better. Its sweetness persuades the brain to feel a sense of comfort. Its spiciness also activates the brain to sense pain and in turn release endorphins and dopamine which create a sense of euphoria.
There are other sweet and spicy food combinations such as dark chocolate and chili bars, pepper jellies and spicy maple syrups, but hot honey is unusual. The honey coats the tongue which tempers the heat sensation while still allowing the pepper to stimulate the body’s natural painkillers. The heat stimulates nerves in the tongue which enhances the sweet taste. This synergy between the honey and chili peppers can enhance overall taste by 30% or more.
Hot honey is simple to make at home. Place one cup of honey and three teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes in a sauce pan. Different peppers can be included or substituted if desired. Bring to a simmer and stir in one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Remove from heat, place a lid on the pan and let the mixture rest for 20 minutes.
Taste for spiciness. Add more pepper flakes if not hot enough or add more honey to dilute the spiciness and bring back to a simmer for a few minutes, then let rest for 20 more minutes. If the mixture has the preferred spiciness, pour it directly into a glass jar or first strain it through a cheese cloth first. The pepper flakes will continue to infuse heat into the honey if left in.
Ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise were new to people’s palates at some point. Hot honey will probably be popular for years to come and just like these three, it could infuse itself into being one of the most loved American condiments.
Daniel O’Donnell is the co-owner and operator of an organic landscape design/build company in Fremont. Chrysalis-Gardens.com
