Terroir

Definition

In honey the mechanism is not metaphorical. A honey's colour, flavour, sugar ratio and mineral content come from the nectar of specific plants growing on specific soil in a specific season, and the differences are measurable rather than impressionistic. Tupelo comes from a hundred miles of Florida river swamp; corbezzolo from Sardinian hillside in November; fynbos honey from the most species-rich floral kingdom on earth.

Where the word gets used loosely

The word is also used to add romance to honeys that are blended across continents. A jar labelled 'blend of EU and non-EU honeys' has no terroir by definition, and the term on such a product is decoration.

Guide records that discuss this

• Geography and honey chemistryHoney has a terroir argument attached to it, and part of it is true. Place does reach the jar — but almost entirely through which plants grow there, not through the soil itself.