Feral Honey & Bee Honey Is Made From The Wild Bees Of Silver Lake

For a true taste of Silver Lake, pick up a jar of Feral Honey & Bee honey, gathered from wild bee hives in the neighborhood.

The golden nectar is harvested by Amy Seidenwurm and Russell Bates, amateur apiarists and founders of Backwards Beekeepers, who maintain colonies in their Silver Lake yard.

The couple's original goal was simply to boost the local bee population–not hawk honey–but last winter's showers brought a bounty of flowers to the area, which meant the bees had more pollen to collect. The sweet bonus resulted in an abundance of honey.

Because these bees don't travel more than a few miles from the hive, the honey tastes like everything that blooms in the neighborhood, rather than a single distinctive note of orange blossom or clover. Depending on the season, or even the month, Feral's honey might have hints of lavender or lemon.

The current batch is bright, fragrant and floral, and perfect with cheese–as you'll find at Bar Covell and Canelé–or drizzled on fresh fruit desserts.

Pick up a jar at The Village Bakery & Café ($11) in Atwater Village while you can: Wild bees don't produce much honey in the winter.