Strawberry jam, yes. Honey, no.

As I was buying some homemade strawberry jam from Kula Country Farms on Maui this weekend, the woman ringing me up warned me that airport security wasn’t going to let the bottle through the checkpoint.
“No,” I said, in disbelief. “It’s jam. It’s not a liquid.”
The woman shrugged. “Well, I’ve had people complain.”
I wasn’t a believer. I mean, jam? A safety concern?
So I wrapped up the jam in some clothes — in case it leaked — and tucked it into my backpack. In my other carry-on, we had stashed guri guri, chocolate truffle mochi and a bottle of honey.
The jam went through security, no problem. But the honey was confiscated.
What gives?
According to the Transportation Security Administration, liquids aren’t the only things that won’t make it past security checkpoints. Here’s a list of gifts and foods that will be confiscated at the airport:
• Cranberry sauce
• Cologne and perfume
• Creamy dips and spreads including cheeses and peanut butter
• Gravy
• Jams
• Jellies
• Lotions
• Maple syrup
• Oils and vinegars
• Salad dressings
• Salsa
• Sauces
• Snowglobes
• Soups
• Wine, liquor and beer
Pies and cakes are OK. Poi, I’ve heard, is a no-go. And I guess airport security didn’t know what to do about the guri guri. (It’s sort of between a liquid and a solid.)
My problem isn’t that these items are deemed security risks — though, I’ll admit, maple syrup isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think “weapons of mass destruction” — but I’m annoyed that 1) most folks don’t know about these non-liquid items that won’t make it past security checkpoints and 2) TSA seems to be a bit inconsistent about following the rules. My strawberry jam went through, no problem. But the honey didn’t pass inspection.
Anyone else got a story to share?
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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at cat@nonstophonolulu.com.