We've all seen a honey dipper before, but do you know how it came to be and how to use it? More than just a fancy applicator, let's look at the physics and history behind this simple but really neat kitchen gadget.
Honey dippers were designed for a very specific reason. Believed to have been invented in ancient China, they were most likely originally designed to keep the delicious honey from making a mess of things when you attempted adding it to your teas and other beverages. Unlike a spoon where it can leave a sticky trail across the table, with the honey dipper, the honey will "magically" stay between the dipper's crevices. Simply rotating the dipper between the fingers as you transport it from your honey jar to its destination, the honey will not drip until it’s situated over your tea, chai, or coffee. In our opinion, our fine Manitoba honey is much too tasty to waste a single drop!
So how exactly does the dipper do its job?
Honey dippers do not look like little beehives for aesthetics. They have been specifically designed this way so that the channels will keep the honey moving (assuming gravity!) and spinning on the stick until you are ready to apply it.
As long as a dipper is continuously rotated horizontally, the honey will never glob together and fall off. With a spoon or knife, on the other hand, there are no handy grooves to prevent the honey from accumulating and dripping off. (Generally, spinning a flat-handled utensil can be a little awkward for most of us.) So, the next time you spot a honey dipper in the wild, know that it's probably not just there for décor, but to help keep the great taste of Manitoban honey where it belongs.
