Monofloral

Definition

Bees do not read labels, and no honey is ever purely one flower. A monofloral honey is one where a single source is dominant enough to define the product. Whether that has been achieved is judged by some combination of pollen analysis, physical measurements such as colour and electrical conductivity, and sensory assessment by a trained panel.

Where the word gets used loosely

The thresholds differ by country and by honey, and for many honeys none exists at all. Pollen percentage alone is unreliable in both directions: acacia and citrus are under-represented in pollen relative to their nectar contribution, while chestnut and forget-me-not are wildly over-represented. A jar labelled with a flower name is a claim about dominance, not purity.

Honey records that discuss this

• Orange blossom honeyUnmistakably floral and citrus-scented — orange blossom in the glass, with the fruit itself somewhere behind it.
• Rapeseed honeyVery sweet, very mild, faintly cabbage-like when fresh and cleanly bland once set. Texture is what it has instead of flavour.
• Sainfoin honeyDelicate and softly floral with a distinct rose-and-hay note, and a thickness that gives it more presence than its flavour alone would.
• Apple blossom honeyDelicate and lightly fruity with a soft marzipan note and a clean finish — recognisably spring, and gone if you are not paying attention.
• Asphodel honeyDelicate and softly perfumed with a fresh, almost vegetal lift and a silky weight that gives it more presence than the flavour alone would.
• Purple loosestrife honeyStrong and tangy with a distinct green herbal note over dark caramel — an unusual profile that some tasters find sharp and others find refreshing.
• Persimmon honeyRich and fruity with a dried-date depth and a warm caramel base — one of the more distinctive minor American varietals and genuinely reminiscent of the ripe fruit.
• Red maple honeyWarm and lightly caramelised with a faint woody note — a straightforward honey, and one that surprises people expecting it to taste of maple syrup.
• Brush box honeyMild and clean with a soft floral sweetness and a faint resinous edge — approachable and undemanding.
• Koromiko honeyLight and clean with a faint herbal bitterness and a soft floral base — mild with just enough edge to be interesting.
• Bottlebrush honeyStrong and malty with a resinous depth and a faint medicinal lift — assertive, and a surprise to anyone who expects a garden shrub to make a mild honey.
• New Zealand bush honeyWarm and rounded with a light caramel base and a faint resinous lift, and considerable variation between regions — generally more approachable than any of its monofloral components.