How can I eat it?

Of course, bee pollen isn’t popping up in restaurants just because it’s “healthy”—some chefs also like the taste. Jason Hua, chef de cuisine of The Dutch in New York City, decided to use bee pollen to top his beet and citrus salad with quinoa. “I like using it more for the flavor and texture element, less for health benefits,” said Hua. Hua came across bee pollen from his regular honey provider at the Union Square farmers’ market and decided to give it a try for himself. “I really liked it,” he said. “I wanted to find some way to use bee pollen in a dish without the flavor getting totally lost, because it’s subtle.” He landed on incorporating it into this particular dish because “the flavor of [the pollen] reminded me of a beet, a little bit: They’re both naturally sweet with an earthiness and a little bit of bitterness. They matched up together well.”

Good news: you don’t need to hit up a restaurant to try bee pollen on for size. You can just as easily bring it into your own kitchen and put it on a sandwich, blend it into a shake, or sprinkle it atop a smoothie bowl or over oatmeal to help balance out some of its characteristic bitter flavor. “Some people take a spoonful in the morning instead of coffee,” says Brent Edelen, “The Beekeeper” of Colorado-based Grampa’s Gourmet, a company that sells honey, live bees, and bee pollen. “Then they’re buzzing all day.” (I don’t think he intended the pun, but I couldn’t resist.)

Food52's hotline also had a few ideas for how to put bee pollen’s “nutty, sweet flavor” to good use in everything from baklava to saffron quinoa pilaf to an affogato.

If you’re hesitant to just start popping pollen pellets into your mouth like Tic Tacs, follow master beekeeper Forbes’ advice: Mix bee pollen with honey (keep with a 1:2 ratio), then spread the mixture on an English muffin, much like you would do with peanut butter (or use it to top peanut butter!). Bonus: Because of its low water content, honey is antibacterial and antimicrobial, meaning you don’t have to worry about perishable pollen molding!

Really, though, unless you’re eating it raw for health benefits, bee pollen is best used as a fun, flashy garnish, one that may impart a bit of floral flavor or honey sweetness, but is chiefly there for “wow” factor.

[Photo via @thedutch]

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