Thixotropy

Definition

Ling heather honey and manuka honey both form a gel structure at rest, driven by their protein content, and both liquefy under agitation and re-set when left alone. It has practical consequences: thixotropic honey will not leave the comb in a centrifuge, so it must be pressed or agitated loose first, which is a large part of why heather honey is expensive.

Where the word gets used loosely

Occasionally described on packaging as evidence of quality or activity. It is a physical property of certain nectars and says nothing about either.

Honey records that discuss this

• Heather honeyStrong, smoky and slightly bitter, with a lingering woodfire-and-toffee character. One of the most complex honeys produced anywhere.

Plant records that discuss this

• HeatherThe plant that turns British and northern European moorland purple in August, and the source of one of the world's most unusual honeys. Heather flowers at the very end of the northern summer, on acid ground that supports almost nothing else, and its nectar produces a thixotropic honey that behaves like no other. Whole beekeeping traditions in Scotland, northern England and the German heaths exist to catch this one flow.