A great way to enjoy dessert in Mexico is by combining two contrasting flavors: the sweet, tart freshness of apples and the indulgent, ambrosia-like taste of pure, natural Mexican Melipona honey! Put them together in this recipe and you’ve got one luscious apple melipona honey upside-down cake! Mexico may not be known for a fruit that one associates with Fall, but apples grow in abundance in the higher elevations of Central Mexico, originally brought here by the Spaniards in the Colonial Period (1521-1821). Ever wonder why they’re so red and so appealing? It’s because they’re a member of the rose family as are pears, plums, peaches, cherries and blackberries, all grown in Mexico. When it comes to baking, Golden Supreme and Gala are considered tops and both are grown here, coming to market about mid-August.
You might want to combine them in this cake for added flavor and texture. Watch for them. Honey on the other hand, has a deep history rooted with the Mayans, who thousands of years ago produced honey from a “sting-less” bee found in the Yucatan.
They used their honey as an antibiotic, a sweetener, and to make an alcoholic drink called balché (like mead). It was only about 50 years ago that African bees, a stinging, more aggressive variety were introduced to Mexico and threatened the existence of the Mayan bee (called Melipona), who are essential to the pollination of tropical forest plants. They also produce some very special honey! NOTE: In the U.
S. it is est.
