I like Allen's idea of marketing a thinned honey syrup for pancakes and may
try it myself. Seems to me the point someone made about packaging it in a
syrup-type bottle is a good one.

I am curious, though, about the viscosity issue. Is this really what's
keeping folks from using honey on their hotcakes? I have some doubt about
that; in fact,  popular pancake syrups in the US seem to vary in viscosity,
as can be demonstrated by a short tour through my syrup-eating history.

As a kid raised in the Appalachians, I mostly ate Karo syrup on my
pancakes. This is just corn syrup, I believe, and comes in a stronger
flavored (with molasses maybe) brwon version and a clear version. I liked
the clear best. Both versions of Karo, as I recall, were pretty thick -
like a thinner honey.

We also had Log Cabin maple flavored syrup, which, as I recall, had a very
strong marketing campaign. This was significantly thinner syrup than Karo,
but not nearly so thin as real maple syrup.

Then along came Mrs Butterworths, a maple and butter flavored syrup
considerably thicker than Log Cabin. Seems like I ate this in Jr. High &
High School years. Again, a strong marketing campaign, and, I'd bet, a
significant impact on Log Cabin's market share, despite (or because of)
being more viscous.

Finally, I switched to pure maple syrup (the thinnest of all the above)
when I moved to New England.

Now that I have my own bees, I use honey (including comb and cream) on
pancakes and French toast. Unless the cakes are cold, I don't find the
honey too thick at all, though it's loads thicker than maple syrup.

Conclusion, in my mind, is that the thickness of the honey may not be the
issue.  The issue may just be better marketing -- and brand-specific
marketing -- on the part of the purveyors of flavored corn syrup.

That said, putting some thinner honey syrup on the shelf may be the best
way of tempting consumers back toward using the real thing.

Greg

______________________________________________________________
Greg Hankins                    Seven Lakes Times, L.L.C.
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Voice: (910)673-0111            1008 Seven Lakes Drive
Fax: (910)673-0210              Seven Lakes, NC 27376