Honey types
Every honey type in the catalogue, with colour, texture, crystallisation behaviour, flavour and what each one is actually for.
263 honey types · grouped by intensity, which is the axis most people are actually choosing on
Explore the catalogue
Six axes, all built from the same records. Pick whichever matches what you already know — a flavour you liked, a colour you prefer, a job you need doing.
- By flavour family
18 groups
- By colour
7 groups
- By texture
7 groups
- By crystallisation
5 groups
- By intensity
5 groups
- By culinary use
13 groups
- By sweetness
5 groups
- By bitterness
4 groups
- By nectar source
4 groups
- By processing
10 groups
- By origin
Continents, countries and named regions
Three things worth knowing before you browse
- Colour predicts intensity, not crystallisation. Dark honeys are usually stronger. But chestnut is dark and stays liquid for months, while rapeseed is nearly white and can set inside the comb — that is the sugar ratio, not the colour.
- Every figure here is a range."Acacia honey" is not one substance: it varies by region, by season and by year, so a single number would assert a precision nobody has.
- Not all of this is honey bee honey. A few of these are made by stingless bees, and theirs is a different product rather than another variety — wetter, sharper, stored in resin pots, and outside the standard written for Apis mellifera. Stingless bees and their honey →
Delicate
- Acacia honeyMiel d'acacia / AkácmézClean, light and sweet with almost nothing in the way. The honey to reach for when you want sweetness without a flavour opinion.MonofloralVery slow
- Rosemary honeyMiel de romeroDelicate and softly aromatic — floral first, with a thin thread of resin behind it that tells you where it came from.MonofloralFast
- Fireweed honeyVery delicate, buttery and faintly tea-like, with a clean finish and almost no aftertaste. A honey that rewards attention and disappears if you are not paying any.MonofloralModerate
- Borage honeyStarflower honeyVery light and very clean, with a faint cucumber-fresh note that fades with age. Sweetness without commentary.MonofloralFast
- Sulla honeyMiele di sullaVery delicate and clean, with a soft almond-and-fresh-grass note and almost no aftertaste.MonofloralFast
- 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.MonofloralModerate
- Asphodel honeyMiele di asfodeloDelicate and softly perfumed with a fresh, almost vegetal lift and a silky weight that gives it more presence than the flavour alone would.MonofloralModerate
- Huajillo honeyVery delicate and clean with a light floral sweetness and almost no aftertaste — a honey that stays out of the way.MonofloralSlow
- Rātā honeyRātāVery delicate and creamy with a light butterscotch note and a faint mineral saltiness underneath.MonofloralModerate
- Blue curls honeyExtremely delicate with a clean sweetness and a faint herbal lift — one of the mildest honeys there is, and prized for exactly that.MonofloralVery slow
- Kiawe honeyVery mild, clean and faintly vanilla-like, with a texture that does most of the work — smooth, buttery and dissolving rather than sticky.MonofloralVery fast
- Ohia lehua honeyMeli lehuaDelicate and clean with a distinct fresh-butter quality and a light floral lift — one of the mildest honeys with genuine character rather than none.MonofloralFast
- Tawari honeyVery delicate, with a distinctive butterscotch note over a clean light sweetness — mild without being characterless, which is a difficult combination.MonofloralSlow
- Tajinaste honeyMiel de tajinasteDelicate and clean with a light floral sweetness and a faint mineral edge from the volcanic ground — subtle rather than characterful.MonofloralSlow
- Narbonne rosemary honeyMiel de NarbonneDelicate and clean with a soft herbal floral note and a texture that does much of the work — one of the classic pale European honeys.MonofloralFast
- Pear blossom honeyVery light and faintly green, with a clean sweetness and almost nothing behind it. Notable chiefly for how hard it is to get.MonofloralModerate
Mild
- Clover honeyWarm, mild and rounded — sweet with a faint cinnamon-and-hay note underneath. The taste most English-speaking readers picture when they read the word honey.MonofloralModerate
- Rapeseed honeyVery sweet, very mild, faintly cabbage-like when fresh and cleanly bland once set. Texture is what it has instead of flavour.MonofloralVery fast
- Tupelo honeyButtery and clean with a pear-and-green-apple lift, and a long soft finish that never turns cloying.MonofloralVery slow
- Sage honeyMild, clean and slightly herbal, with a heavy silky body that is more of the experience than the flavour is.MonofloralVery slow
- Raspberry honeyDelicate and lightly fruity with a clean bright acidity — one of the few honeys where a taster unprompted names the right fruit.MonofloralModerate
- Sainfoin honeyMiel de sainfoin / EsparsettenhonigDelicate and softly floral with a distinct rose-and-hay note, and a thickness that gives it more presence than its flavour alone would.MonofloralModerate
- Gallberry honeyMild and clean with a soft floral warmth and a faint bitterness on the finish that the name hints at without quite delivering.MonofloralVery slow
- Pōhutukawa honeyPōhutukawaMild and creamy with a faint salt-and-mineral edge from the coast, and a butterscotch note that emerges as it warms on the tongue.MonofloralFast
- Phacelia honeyBüschelschön-HonigMild, clean and gently floral with a faint herbal freshness — an easy honey with no rough edges at all.MonofloralModerate
- Sweet clover honeyWarm, sweet and hay-like with a soft vanilla note that is genuinely there rather than imagined — the clearest coumarin character of any common honey.MonofloralModerate
- Vitex honey荆条蜜Very clean and mild with a light floral sweetness and a faint fresh herbal lift on the finish.MonofloralSlow
- Milk vetch honey紫云英蜜Soft, mild and slightly floral with a faint green-bean freshness — an unassuming honey made in enormous quantity.MonofloralModerate
- Marri honeyMild, sweet and buttery with a soft caramel warmth and only the faintest eucalypt lift.MonofloralFast
- Ethiopian white honeyየጠገራ ማርClean, sweet and faintly herbal, with a smooth dense texture that dominates the impression more than the flavour does.MonofloralFast
- Ceanothus honeyDelicate and clean with a light floral sweetness and a faint spicy edge — mild, and rather more interesting than a pale honey usually is.MonofloralFast
- Chinese tallow honeyMild and clean with a light floral sweetness and a faint waxy note — an unremarkable flavour attached to a very remarkable ecological situation.MonofloralFast
- Catclaw honeyDelicate and floral with a light sweetness and a faint spicy warmth — one of the gentler American varietals and quite distinct from the darker mesquite honey of the same country.MonofloralSlow
- Tajonal honeyMiel de tajonalBright and clean with a light floral sweetness and a faint herbal edge — an approachable honey and the backbone of Mexico's export trade.MonofloralModerate
- Dzidzilché honeyMiel de dzidzilchéDelicate and clean with a distinct light floral perfume and a faint citrus lift — refined in a way that most tropical honeys are not.MonofloralSlow
- Campanilla honeyMiel de campanillaLight and clean with a soft floral sweetness and a faint tropical fruit note — approachable and pleasant rather than distinctive.MonofloralModerate
- Logwood honeyLight and clean with a distinct floral sweetness and a faint caramelised note — one of the more delicate Caribbean honeys.MonofloralModerate
- Marmeleiro honeyMel de marmeleiroLight and clean with a soft floral sweetness and a faint resinous edge from the scrub — approachable and characteristic of caatinga honey generally.MonofloralModerate
- Snowberry honeyMild and clean with a soft floral sweetness and a faint green note — pleasant and unassertive.MonofloralModerate
- Yapunyah honeyMild and buttery with a light caramel sweetness and a clean finish — smooth in a way that people notice before they notice the flavour.MonofloralModerate
- Coolibah honeyMild and clean with a light caramel note and a soft buttery finish — undemanding and pleasant.MonofloralModerate
- Mallee honeyMild and clean with a light caramel sweetness and a faint eucalypt lift — approachable and consistent.MultifloralModerate
- White box honeyClean and lightly caramelised with a faint buttery smoothness — mild, dense and highly regarded within Australia.MonofloralVery slow
- Brush box honeyMild and clean with a soft floral sweetness and a faint resinous edge — approachable and undemanding.MonofloralModerate
- Prickly box honeyMild and clean with a soft floral sweetness and a faint honeyed-almond note — pleasant and considerably gentler than leatherwood.MonofloralSlow
- Koromiko honeyLight and clean with a faint herbal bitterness and a soft floral base — mild with just enough edge to be interesting.MonofloralModerate
- Tree lucerne honeyMild and clean with a soft floral sweetness and a faint nutty note — pleasant, undemanding and mostly eaten by bees rather than people.MonofloralModerate
- Salvation Jane honeyMild and clean with a soft floral sweetness — pleasant, unassertive and produced in enormous quantity.MonofloralModerate
- Alfalfa honeyLucerne honeyMild, clean and slightly grassy, with a beeswax note and very little else. A background honey, and good at being one.MonofloralModerate
- Mesquite honeyMiel de mezquiteMild and smooth with a faint smoky-molasses note that arrives after the sweetness rather than with it.MonofloralSlow
- Yellow box honeyMild, smooth and lightly floral with a buttery weight and a faint eucalypt lift at the very end.MonofloralVery slow
- Mustard honeySarson ka shahadVery sweet and very mild with a faint pungent brassica note when fresh, fading to clean blandness as it ages and sets.MonofloralVery fast
- Blue borage honeyClean, delicate and softly floral, with a thick smooth body that gives it more weight than its flavour would suggest.MonofloralSlow
- Cotton honeyMild and clean with a faint green-vegetal note and very little else — a background honey.MonofloralFast
- Rubber tree honeyMild and slightly vegetal with a light caramel warmth — an unremarkable flavour attached to a genuinely remarkable production story.MonofloralSlow
- Assa-peixe honeyMel de assa-peixeMild, clean and gently floral with a soft caramel warmth and a slightly herbal finish.MonofloralModerate
- Balsam honeyMild and clean with a light pear-drop fruitiness and a soft floral finish — considerably gentler than its late-season timing suggests.MonofloralModerate
- Titi honeyMild and clean with a light floral sweetness and no strong distinguishing character — the honey itself is unremarkable, which is why nothing about it justifies the cost to the colony.MonofloralModerate
- Lingonberry honeyPuolukkahunaja / LingonhonungDelicate and clean with a distinct tart berry note and a fresh acidity — one of the few honeys that genuinely tastes of the fruit its plant produces.MonofloralModerate
- Dalmatian sage honeyMed od kaduljeDelicate and clean with a faintly medicinal sage note and a light herbal finish — subtle in a way that rewards eating it plain.MonofloralVery slow
- Retama honeyMiel de retama del TeideDelicate and floral with a distinct honeyed-almond sweetness and a clean finish — one of the gentler European honeys, and unusually consistent.MonofloralModerate
- Field bean honeyMild and clean with a faint green-bean vegetal note under a soft sweetness — pleasant and undemanding rather than distinctive.MonofloralFast
- Goji honey枸杞蜜Light and clean with a soft red-fruit note and a faint herbal edge — mildly fruity rather than obviously berry-like.MonofloralSlow
- Mikan honeyみかん蜜Delicate and bright with a pronounced fresh citrus-blossom aroma and a clean acidity — lighter and fresher than Mediterranean orange blossom honey.MonofloralModerate
- Ak balАк балMild, creamy and delicately floral with a faint herbal lift — the texture is much of the appeal, dense and smooth and dissolving rather than sticky.MultifloralVery fast
- Sesame honeyMild and clean with a distinct toasted-nut note and a light caramel base — the nutty character is genuine rather than suggested by the name.MonofloralModerate
- Oku white honeyMiel blanc d'OkuDelicate and creamy with a light floral character and a faint herbal lift — mild by African standards and distinctly refined.MultifloralFast
- Berseem honeyعسل البرسيمMild and clean with a soft floral sweetness and a faint hay note — the archetype of an unassuming everyday honey.MonofloralModerate
- Willow honeyMild, faintly green and quick to set. A spring honey in the literal sense, and one most beekeepers taste and few buyers ever see.MonofloralFast
- Blackthorn honeyDelicate, almondy and fleeting. Recognisably a Prunus honey, and the closest thing in the European catalogue to the taste of a hedge in March.MonofloralFast
- Plum blossom honeyLight, sweet and gently almondy, with a soft fruit note behind it. An easy honey and a short-lived one.MonofloralFast
- Spring blossom honeyMild, creamy and clean, with a faint cabbagey note where rape dominates. An easy honey and a spreadable one.MultifloralVery fast
- Pagoda tree honey槐花蜜Light, clean and gently floral with a faint green edge — an unassertive honey produced in very large quantities.MonofloralSlow
- Coconut blossom honeyLight, clean and mildly waxy with a faint nuttiness. It tastes nothing like coconut, which surprises almost everyone.MonofloralSlow
- Sweet thorn honeySoetdoringheuningSoft, floral and clean, with a faint almond note carried over from the flower's own scent. An easy honey and a very well-made one at its best.MonofloralModerate
- Niger seed honeyየኑግ ማርGolden, clean and gently grassy, with a soft finish. Closer to sunflower honey than to the darker forest honeys of the same country.MonofloralFast
- Soybean honeyVery pale and very mild, with a clean light sweetness and almost nothing to distinguish it. Its virtue is neutrality.MonofloralModerate
- Milkweed honeyExceptionally perfumed for such a pale honey — a clean floral sweetness with an almost tropical lift. Regarded as a delicacy where it can be produced in quantity.MonofloralSlow
- Spanish needle honeyLight, mildly fruity and clean. An easy, agreeable honey rather than a dramatic one, which is exactly what an all-year background source produces.MonofloralModerate
- Manzanita honeyDelicate and faintly spicy, with a clean short finish. Interesting mostly for when it is made rather than for how it tastes.MonofloralModerate
- Safflower honeyLight amber and mildly nutty, with a faint thistle bitterness at the finish. Unassertive and rather more interesting than most crop honeys.MonofloralModerate
- Prairie honeyClean, mild and creamy, with a light floral sweetness. The reference point for what a great many people think honey tastes like.MultifloralFast
- Tiaca honeySoft, floral and clean — gentler and less aromatic than ulmo from the same forest, and easier to eat in quantity.MonofloralModerate
- Yellow gum honeyClean and mildly aromatic with a soft finish — the gentlest of the commercial eucalypt honeys and a good introduction to the group.MonofloralModerate
- Five finger honeyWhauwhaupakuMild, faintly green and slightly waxy, setting hard and pale. A working honey rather than a prestige one.MonofloralFast
- Towai honeyTōwaiVery pale and delicate with a faint butterscotch sweetness — noticeably lighter and milder than kamahi from the same genus.MonofloralModerate
Moderate
- Orange blossom honeyMiel de azaharUnmistakably floral and citrus-scented — orange blossom in the glass, with the fruit itself somewhere behind it.MonofloralModerate
- Meadowfoam honeyToasted marshmallow and vanilla, unmistakably. The one honey most people identify blind on the first spoonful, because it tastes like something they already know.MonofloralModerate
- Cherry blossom honeySakura honeyMarzipan first, then a light stone-fruit sweetness — the almond note is the defining character and it is unmistakable.MonofloralModerate
- Lemon blossom honeyMiele di limone / Miel de limónBright, sharply citrus and clean — lemon zest and blossom rather than the softer neroli of orange blossom, with a genuine acidity behind it.MonofloralModerate
- Ironbark honeyRich, buttery and dense with a warm caramel depth and a clean eucalypt lift at the end.MonofloralModerate
- Black mangrove honeyLight and clean with a distinct saline-mineral edge and a faint smoky note — the salinity is genuine and reflects the tidal ground the trees grow in.MonofloralSlow
- Brazilian pepper honeyWarm and peppery with a distinct resinous spice and a faint tartness — genuinely reminiscent of the pink peppercorns the plant produces.MonofloralModerate
- Jataí honeyMel de jataíSharply acidic and fruity with a fermented tang — closer to a sharp fruit syrup than to what most people expect honey to taste like.MultifloralVery slow
- 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.MonofloralModerate
- Blackbutt honeyWarm and caramelised with a light resinous edge — one of the milder eucalypt honeys and a good introduction to the group.MonofloralModerate
- Grey box honeyClean and lightly caramelised with a faint buttery quality — mild for a eucalypt honey and highly regarded for its density and smoothness.MonofloralSlow
- Spotted gum honeyWarm and caramelised with a light resinous lift and a rounded finish — a middle-weight eucalypt honey and a very usable one.MonofloralModerate
- Western Australian wildflower honeyComplex and variable, generally warm and lightly caramelised with a resinous myrtaceous lift and considerable site-to-site difference.MultifloralModerate
- 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.MultifloralModerate
- Sunflower honeyMiel de tournesol / GirasolStraw, beeswax and pollen, with a slightly waxy mouthfeel and a fresh, faintly herbal edge.MonofloralVery fast
- Eucalyptus honeyMiele di eucaliptoWoody and faintly medicinal, with caramel and a cool eucalypt lift. More savoury than its colour suggests.MonofloralModerate
- Linden honeyLipovy med / LindenhonigFresh and cooling — mint, balsam and lime blossom, with a clean herbal sharpness no other pale honey has.MonofloralModerate
- Wildflower honeyVaries with the season and the landscape. Pale spring crops are floral and light; late-summer crops darker, fruitier and stronger.MultifloralModerate
- Blueberry honeyTangy and lightly fruity with a green, slightly astringent edge — recognisably related to the berry without tasting of jam.MonofloralModerate
- Kānuka honeyKānukaSweet, clean and lightly aromatic, with a herbal-resinous thread that hints at its relation to mānuka without any of the medicinal weight.MonofloralFast
- Blackberry honeyWarm, mellow and gently fruity, with a soft jammy note and a hint of the fruit without any of its sharpness.MonofloralSlow
- Meadow honeyWiesenhonig / Miel de prairieSoft, warm and floral with a hay-and-clover base — recognisably a summer field, and gentler and less resinous than mountain honey.MultifloralModerate
- Star thistle honeyLight and clean with a distinct anise-and-cinnamon lift and a fruity sweetness underneath. Delicate but not blank.MonofloralSlow
- Lychee honeyDelicately floral with a distinct rose-and-lychee perfume, and a clean sweetness underneath that keeps it from being heavy.MonofloralFast
- Coffee blossom honeyStrongly floral — jasmine and orange blossom over a light caramel base, with no coffee character whatsoever.MonofloralModerate
- Cranberry honeyTart and fruity with a genuine cranberry acidity — one of very few honeys where sourness is a real part of the profile.MonofloralModerate
- Thistle honeyMiele di cardoWarm and herbaceous with a hay-and-spice character and a faint bitterness at the end.MonofloralModerate
- Kāmahi honeyKāmahiButtery and caramel-sweet with a faint herbal-resinous edge and a smooth rounded body.MonofloralModerate
- Aster honeyStrong and slightly sharp with a hay-and-herb character and a distinct sour edge that fades as the honey ages.MonofloralVery fast
- Quillay honeyMiel de quillayAromatic and warm with dried fruit and a resinous edge, and a faint clean bitterness that keeps it from being merely sweet.MonofloralModerate
- Greek fir honeyΕλάτης / Βανίλια ΕλάτηςMildly sweet, resinous and faintly caramelised, with a soft woody character and none of the sharpness of the darker honeydews — considerably gentler than its colour suggests.HoneydewVery slow
- Metcalfa honeydew honeyMiele di melata di MetcalfaModerately sweet with a distinct fig and dried-fruit character over a malty base — noticeably fruitier than the conifer honeydews and quite unlike them.HoneydewVery slow
- Alpine meadow honeyAlmhonig / Miele di alta montagnaComplex and aromatic, with a herbal lift over warm caramel and a distinctly clean finish — the flavour of a great many plants rather than of any one.MultifloralModerate
- Alcarria honeyMiel de La AlcarriaDelicate and aromatic, with a clean herbal sweetness — the rosemary type is softer and more floral, the lavender type more perfumed and slightly camphoraceous.MonofloralFast
- Rosmaninho honeyMel de rosmaninhoAromatic and resinous with a warm herbal sweetness and a faint eucalyptus lift — more robust and less perfumed than Provençal lavender honey.MonofloralModerate
- Urban honeyVaries enormously and is frequently more complex than a rural multifloral, because the flowering succession is longer and the species mix wider.MultifloralModerate
- Sycamore honeydew honeyMalty and mildly sweet with a savoury, faintly smoky depth and a mineral finish — less resinous than the conifer honeydews and more caramelised.HoneydewSlow
- Knapweed honeyWarm and rounded with a light caramel sweetness and a faint hay note — the flavour most people picture when they think of ordinary good honey, with a little more depth.MonofloralModerate
- Sundarbans mangrove honeyসুন্দরবনের মধুLight, tangy and faintly saline with a fresh floral character — considerably more delicate than its dramatic provenance would suggest.MultifloralVery slow
- Tea blossom honey茶花蜜Mild and creamy with a distinct faint bitterness and a green vegetal note that is recognisably tea-like — an unusual profile and a divisive one.MonofloralVery fast
- Siberian taiga honeyТаёжный мёдComplex and warm with a herbal lift over caramel, and a density that comes directly from the low moisture — thick, concentrated and long on the palate.MultifloralModerate
- Himalayan forest honeyComplex and warm, with a herbal and faintly smoky character reflecting both the flora and the traditional processing — spring honey is lighter and more floral, autumn honey darker and more resinous.MultifloralModerate
- Karanj honeyकरंज शहदWarm and herbal with a faint bitterness and a light caramel base — mild by Indian standards and more interesting than its modest reputation suggests.MonofloralModerate
- Chiuri honeyचिउरी महRich and slightly smoky with a nutty depth and a warm caramel base — one of the more distinctive Nepali honeys and considerably less known than the cliff honey.MonofloralSlow
- Mango blossom honeyआम का शहदWarm and fruity with a distinct tropical-stone-fruit note and a faint resinous edge — one of the honeys that does taste recognisably of its tree's fruit, though more faintly than people expect.MonofloralSlow
- Baobab honeyWarm and mildly tangy with a distinct citrus-sherbet lift over caramel — brighter and more acidic than most African honeys and genuinely reminiscent of the tree's fruit.MonofloralSlow
- Shea honeyWarm and buttery with a nutty depth and a light caramel base — a rounded, approachable honey with a distinct richness.MonofloralModerate
- Argan honeyعسل الأركانWarm and nutty with a distinct roasted note and a light resinous edge — genuinely reminiscent of the oil, which is a rare coincidence between a honey and its tree's other product.MonofloralModerate
- Rowan honeyAmber, tart and faintly bitter, with a red-fruit note that echoes the berries the tree is better known for.MonofloralFast
- Field maple honeyFresh and faintly green with a warm caramel base — a spring honey with rather more body than its colour suggests.MonofloralFast
- Motherwort honeyClean and lightly herbal with a faint bitterness at the end — a summer honey that tastes of the plant rather than of sugar.MonofloralModerate
- Sea buckthorn honeySharp and fruity where berry juice has been added, and an ordinary golden coastal honey where it has not. The two are quite different products under one name.MultifloralModerate
- Karakovan honeyKarakovan balıComplex, floral and herbal at once, eaten with the wax. Its character is a mountain and a year rather than a species.MultifloralModerate
- Altai honeyАлтайский мёдFloral, warm and complex, with a hay-meadow character and a long clean finish. A very good multifloral rather than a striking monofloral.MultifloralModerate
- Garrigue honeyMiel de garrigueHerbal, warm and dry, with thyme and rosemary running through a light caramel body. The clearest example in the catalogue of a honey tasting of a landscape.MultifloralModerate
- Hedgerow honeyWarm, floral and slightly grassy, with a caramel base. A good hedgerow honey is a genuinely complex thing that happens not to have a Latin name.MultifloralFast
- Moringa honeyGreen, peppery and faintly vegetal over a light sweetness — recognisably related to the mustard-oil chemistry running through the whole plant.MonofloralSlow
- Babul honeyबबूल शहदWarm, nutty and full-bodied with a faint tannic dryness. A robust everyday honey rather than a delicate one.MonofloralModerate
- Tamarind honeyइमली शहदAmber, warm and distinctly tart, with a caramel body and a sour-fruit edge that does echo the tamarind pod.MonofloralSlow
- Oil-tea camellia honey茶花蜜Pale, thin and distinctly bitter, with an astringent tea-like finish. Not a beginner's honey and not really a pleasure honey.MonofloralModerate
- Rambutan honeyMadu rambutanSoft, floral and faintly muscat — closer to lychee honey than to anything temperate, and gentler than most tropical honeys.MonofloralVery slow
- Combretum honeyWarm and caramel-led with a dried-fruit depth and a faint woody dryness. A robust everyday honey rather than a delicate one.MonofloralModerate
- Oil palm honeyVariable by definition. Generally warm and mildly caramel-led, taking its character from whatever grew between and around the palms.MultifloralSlow
- Xtabentún honeyXtabentúnPale, aromatic and faintly aniseed, with a clean floral lift. The liqueur made from it leans directly on that anise note.MonofloralModerate
- Tepezcohuite honeyWarm and floral with a faint tannic dryness, reflecting the tree's very high tannin content. An agreeable everyday honey.MonofloralModerate
- Caatinga honeyWarm, resinous and floral at once, with real complexity from a flora that exists nowhere else. Variability is inherent rather than a defect.MultifloralSlow
- Chañar honeyWarm and caramel-led with a distinct sweet resinous note — recognisably related to the pod syrup the same tree produces.MonofloralModerate
- Stringybark honeyFull and malty with a clean eucalypt aromatic edge and a slightly dry finish. A robust everyday honey by Australian standards.MonofloralModerate
- Wilga honeyWarm and faintly spicy with a clean finish, and without the camphor edge that runs through the eucalypt honeys of the same landscape.MonofloralModerate
- Mandaçaia honeyMel de mandaçaiaSofter and rounder than the northeastern stingless honeys — still acidic, but with more caramel behind it and less citrus sharpness.MultifloralVery slow
Pronounced
- Lavender honeyMiel de lavandeOvertly perfumed — lavender flower, warm hay and a soft fruity sweetness underneath. Aromatic in a way most honeys are not.MonofloralModerate
- Ivy honeyStrong, faintly bitter and distinctly herbal — closer to a dark honey in character than its pale colour suggests.MonofloralVery fast
- Ulmo honeyMiel de ulmoStrongly perfumed — jasmine and orange blossom over butterscotch, with a creamy weight that carries it. Aromatic in a way very few honeys are.MonofloralFast
- Almond blossom honeyMiel de almendroDistinctly bitter with a marzipan aroma over it — one of the few honeys where bitterness arrives before sweetness, and an acquired taste even among people who like bitter honeys.MonofloralModerate
- Basswood honeyIntensely aromatic with a mentholated, faintly medicinal lift over a clean sweetness — one of the most distinctive American honeys and among the most divisive.MonofloralModerate
- 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.MonofloralModerate
- Mountain laurel honeyReported as bitter and sharp with a burning sensation in the throat, though the toxin is not reliably detectable by taste — which is the single most important fact about it.MonofloralModerate
- Rabbitbrush honeyStrong and resinous with a bitter herbal edge and a distinctly medicinal note — one of the more challenging American honeys and an acquired taste at best.MonofloralFast
- Huisache honeyMiel de huizacheStrongly floral with a distinct violet and orange-blossom perfume over warm caramel — one of the most obviously perfumed American honeys.MonofloralModerate
- 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.MonofloralModerate
- Messmate honeyStrong and resinous with a malty depth and a faintly medicinal eucalypt lift — assertive and unmistakably Australian.MonofloralModerate
- Bloodwood honeyStrong and malty with a resinous depth and a distinct woody astringency — one of the more assertive Australian honeys.MonofloralModerate
- Beech honeydew honeyHoneydew honeyRich and malty with a resinous depth, a low sweetness and a distinctly savoury mineral finish — a serious honey, and quite unlike anything else New Zealand produces.HoneydewVery slow
- 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.MonofloralModerate
- Sugarbag honeySharply tangy and fruity with a resinous edge — often described as lemon-and-caramel, and quite unlike honey bee honey in every respect.MultifloralVery slow
- Central Otago thyme honeyIntensely aromatic and herbal with a warm thyme character and a long savoury finish — closely comparable to a good Greek thyme honey, which surprises most people.MonofloralSlow
- Leatherwood honeyPowerfully perfumed and slightly spicy — musk, warm blossom and something faintly balsamic. Distinctive to the point of being polarising.MonofloralModerate
- Sourwood honeySpicy and aromatic — anise and clove over a caramel base, with a dry, almost tannic finish that stops it being merely sweet.MonofloralSlow
- Dandelion honeySharp, pungent and unmistakably strong for a spring honey — a chamomile-and-hay aroma with an animal note behind it that fades as the honey ages.MonofloralVery fast
- Mountain honeyMiel de montagne / Miele di montagna / GebirgshonigAromatic, complex and warm, with a herbal-resinous depth and considerably more going on than a lowland multifloral. It tastes of a landscape rather than of a flower.Mixed floral and honeydewModerate
- Goldenrod honeyStrong, warm and spicy, with a hay-and-clove character and a slightly astringent finish. Assertive in a way that surprises people expecting an ordinary golden honey.MonofloralFast
- Saw palmetto honeySmoky and peppery with a warm resinous depth — an unusual and slightly savoury honey that divides opinion sharply.MonofloralSlow
- Rewarewa honeyRewarewaMalty and burnt-caramel with a dry astringent finish — closer to a dark ale than to a floral honey.MonofloralSlow
- Macadamia honeyMalty and nutty with a roasted depth and a butterscotch base — one of the few honeys that genuinely tastes like the crop it came from.MonofloralModerate
- Longan honeyIntensely aromatic — caramel, dried tropical fruit and a distinctive musky floral note that is unlike anything in the European catalogue.MonofloralSlow
- Bell heather honeyMiel de bruyère cendréeRich, warm and fruity with a caramel base and a distinct red-fruit note — sweeter and rounder than ling heather, and without its smoky bitterness.MonofloralSlow
- Hawthorn honeyStrong and slightly strange — marzipan and cut hay over a distinctly animal undertone that divides people sharply.MonofloralModerate
- Rockrose honeyMiel de jaraBalsamic and resinous with a warm amber sweetness underneath — it smells of incense and hot scrubland, and tastes considerably less sweet than its colour suggests.MonofloralSlow
- Bilberry honeyTangy and berry-forward over a caramel base, with a green astringency and a genuine fruit acidity.MonofloralModerate
- Oregano honeyΡίγανη μέλιIntensely herbal and warm, with an oregano-and-thyme aromatic over a caramel base and a dry, faintly medicinal finish.MonofloralSlow
- Karri honeyRich and layered — malt and dark caramel with a dried-fruit depth and a long warm finish. The most complex of the Western Australian honeys.MonofloralSlow
- River red gum honeyStrong and warmly medicinal — the classic eucalypt register, with caramel underneath and a menthol lift at the end.MonofloralModerate
- Blue gum honeyStrongly medicinal and camphoraceous with a caramel base — the flavour most people mean when they say a honey tastes of eucalyptus.MonofloralFast
- Ber honeyبیری شہدWarm and rich with dried dates and caramel, and a faint herbal bitterness on the finish — recognisably a Ziziphus honey, and lighter than Yemeni sidr.MonofloralSlow
- Cabbage palm honeyDark, smoky and savoury with a mineral saltiness and only moderate sweetness — an unusual and polarising honey.MonofloralModerate
- Fynbos honeyComplex and aromatic — herbal, faintly resinous and warmly caramelised, with a character that changes noticeably between producers.MultifloralModerate
- African acacia honeyعسل الطلحWarm and spiced with a caramel base and a dry, faintly smoky finish — considerably more assertive than European acacia honey, which it is named after and resembles in no way.MonofloralSlow
- Melipona honeyXunan kabTart, complex and only moderately sweet — a distinct acidic tang over a floral base, closer to a fermented fruit drink than to honey bee honey.MultifloralVery slow
- Bamboo honeyJapanese knotweed honeyRich and buttery with a distinct tang, frequently compared with a lighter buckwheat — malty and slightly sharp rather than sweetly floral.MonofloralModerate
- Corsican maquis honeyMiel de Corse — Mele di CorsicaRanges from delicate and floral in spring to intensely bitter and resinous in the autumn maquis, which is dominated by strawberry tree and is among the most challenging honeys in Europe.MultifloralModerate
- Anzer honeyAnzer balıIntensely aromatic and complex, with a pronounced herbal and floral character and a long finish that many describe as almost perfumed.MultifloralSlow
- Kelulut honeyMadu kelulutDistinctly sour and tangy with a fruity, almost fermented character — closer to a sharp fruit syrup than to what most people expect honey to taste like.MultifloralVery slow
- Vosges fir honeyMiel de Sapin des VosgesBalsamic and malty with a resinous woody depth and a marked lack of sweetness — closer to treacle and pine resin than to anything floral.HoneydewVery slow
- Bashkir linden honeyБашкирский липовый мёдIntensely aromatic with the mentholated, faintly medicinal lift characteristic of lime, over a clean sweetness — more perfumed than most people expect from so pale a honey.MonofloralFast
- Hymettus honeyΜέλι ΥμηττούIntensely aromatic and herbal, with a warm thyme character, a resinous maquis edge and a long finish that carries a distinct savoury note.MonofloralSlow
- Savory honeyMel od čubra / ΘρούμπιIntensely herbal with a distinct peppery, almost oregano-like bite over a warm sweetness — one of the more assertive Mediterranean aromatics.MonofloralSlow
- Dittany honeyΜέλι δίκταμοIntensely aromatic and herbal with a distinct medicinal lift and a warm oregano character — closer to a herbal infusion than to a floral honey.MonofloralSlow
- Manuka honeyMānukaEarthy, mineral and damp — heather-like without the smoke, with a faintly medicinal edge. Distinctive rather than delicious, and not what most people expect for the price.MonofloralSlow
- Thyme honeyΘυμαρίσιο μέλιWarm, herbal and savoury — thyme and dry stone, with a peppery lift and a very long finish.MonofloralModerate
- Forest honeydew honeyWaldhonig / TannenhonigResinous, malty and mineral, with far less sweetness than its darkness suggests. Closer to treacle and pine forest than to anything floral.HoneydewVery slow
- Jarrah honeyDark, malty and caramelised, with a coffee-and-treacle depth and much less of the medicinal edge a comparably dark honey usually carries.MonofloralVery slow
- Pine honeydew honeyΠευκόμελο / Çam balıResinous, malty and markedly less sweet than floral honey, with a woody, slightly salty depth and no floral character at all.HoneydewVery slow
- Tulip poplar honeyDark, buttery and malty with a smoky caramel depth and much less bitterness than its colour suggests.MonofloralSlow
- Silver fir honeyTannenhonig / Miel de sapinMalty, resinous and barely sweet, with a balsamic depth and a long woody finish. One of the least sugary honeys there is.HoneydewVery slow
- Jamun honeyJamun ka shahadDark, tannic and astringent with a dried-fruit depth and a dry finish — noticeably less sweet than most honeys of similar colour.MonofloralSlow
- Spruce honeydew honeyFichtenhonigMalty and caramelised with a woody depth and restrained sweetness — warmer and less balsamic than fir honeydew.HoneydewSlow
- Banksia honeyStrong, malty and savoury with a burnt-caramel depth and a distinctly salty-mineral edge.MonofloralModerate
- Loquat honey枇杷蜜 / びわ蜜Rich and malty with a distinct almond-marzipan note over dark caramel — one of the more aromatic East Asian honeys and far stronger than its pale-fruited source suggests.MonofloralModerate
- Tochi honey栃蜜 / とち蜜Malty and rich with a distinct woody astringency and a long dry finish — assertive without being harsh, and closer to a dark forest honey than to a blossom one.MonofloralModerate
- Coriander honeyधनिया शहदWarm and spicy with an unmistakable coriander-seed aroma over a caramel base — one of the most immediately recognisable honeys there is.MonofloralModerate
- Samar honeyعسل السمرStrong and resinous with a warm caramelised depth and a distinct dry-country character — more assertive than sidr and less floral.MonofloralSlow
- Gelam honeyMadu gelamSharp and aromatic with a distinct medicinal eucalyptus-like lift over a caramelised base — assertive and unmistakably from the myrtle family.MonofloralSlow
- Tibetan highland honeyDense and strongly herbal with a resinous depth and a faintly smoky finish — a concentrated honey that reflects both a short intense season and traditional processing.MultifloralModerate
- Ethiopian red honeyቀይ ማርStrong and warm with a malty depth, a resinous eucalyptus lift and a faint smokiness from traditional harvesting — an assertive honey that stands up to fermentation.MultifloralModerate
- Miombo honeyRich and warm with a distinct woody, faintly smoky depth and a caramelised sweetness — the smoke comes partly from the harvest method and partly from the woodland itself.MultifloralModerate
- Mopane honeyDark and malty with a savoury mineral depth and a faintly smoky finish — closer to a European forest honeydew than to an African blossom honey.Mixed floral and honeydewSlow
- Aloe honeyDistinctly bitter with a warm caramel base and a faintly medicinal herbal note — the bitterness is pronounced and is the reason people buy it.MonofloralModerate
- Tamarisk honeyعسل الطرفاءDark and mineral with a malty depth and a distinct faint saltiness that reflects the ground — an unusual and genuinely savoury honey.Mixed floral and honeydewSlow
- Cashew honeyTangy and resinous with a warm caramel base and a faintly astringent finish — assertive and quite unlike the mild nut it comes from.MonofloralModerate
- Hyssop honeyOvertly herbal — camphor, mint and warm stone — over a clean gold sweetness. One of the more clearly aromatic herb honeys.MonofloralModerate
- Cardoon honeySavoury and faintly bitter, with a warm caramel body and an unmistakable green-vegetable note that is genuinely artichoke-like.MonofloralModerate
- Greek erica honeyΜέλι ρείκιDark, malty and faintly bitter, with dried fig and caramel behind it. A robust honey and a distinctly autumnal one.MonofloralFast
- Tulsi honeyतुलसी शहदDistinctly clove-scented over a light caramel body — one of the few herb honeys that genuinely smells of the herb.MonofloralModerate
- Ajwain honeyअजवाइन शहदAromatic and faintly medicinal, with a clear thyme-and-caraway note over light amber sweetness.MonofloralModerate
- Talh honeyعسل الطلحDark, thick and savoury-sweet, with dried fruit and molasses over a caramel depth. Nothing about it suggests the honey Europe calls acacia.MonofloralSlow
- Cardamom honeyഏലം തേൻGenuinely spice-scented — eucalyptol and a sweet resinous lift over pale amber sweetness. One of the clearest spice signatures of any honey.MonofloralModerate
- Mangium honeyDark, malty and lightly resinous, with a savoury depth that reads as honeydew rather than as blossom.HoneydewVery slow
- Niaouli honeyStrongly medicinal and eucalypt-like, with a camphorous aroma over an amber sweetness. Unmistakably a myrtle-family honey.MonofloralModerate
- Madagascar litchi honeyOvertly aromatic — muscat grape and rose over a light caramel body. One of the more perfumed honeys in the catalogue.MonofloralModerate
- Sumac honeyTart, dark and lightly resinous, with a sour-fruit edge unusual in an American honey and a definite tannic dryness.MonofloralSlow
- Carrot seed honeyDark, savoury and faintly medicinal, with a green umbellifer note and a slightly bitter finish. A challenging honey and an interesting one.MonofloralModerate
- Angico honeyDark, resinous and faintly smoky over a caramel body. A robust honey with more character than most tropical crops.MonofloralSlow
- Jandaíra honeyMel de jandaíraFluid, sharply acidic and aromatic — closer to a fruit vinegar than to honey as most people know it. That acidity is normal rather than spoilage.MultifloralVery slow
- Paperbark honeyMedicinal and camphorous over an amber sweetness — a strong, distinctly antiseptic character that some people find difficult.MonofloralModerate
- Swamp mahogany honeyStrong, malty and resinous with a lingering bitterness. One of the more challenging Australian honeys and a good one.MonofloralSlow
- Uruçu honeyMel de uruçuFluid, sharply acidic and floral — closer to a fruit syrup than to honey as most people know it, and the acidity is normal rather than spoilage.MultifloralVery slow
- African stingless bee honeySharp, fruity and faintly smoky, with the acidity common to all stingless bee honey. Descriptions vary widely because the species and the flora both do.MultifloralVery slow
Intense
- Himalayan cliff honeyStrong, dark and complex, with a bitter herbal edge and a slightly astringent finish. Spring harvests are frequently sharper and more bitter than autumn ones.MultifloralSlow
- Tree heath honeyMiel de brezo / Mel de urzeStrong, malty and slightly bitter, with a burnt-caramel depth and a woody finish — assertive in a way that divides opinion sharply.MonofloralModerate
- Buckwheat honeyMalt, molasses and wet straw, with a savoury, almost animal depth. The most polarising honey in general production.MonofloralModerate
- Chestnut honeyMiele di castagno / Miel de châtaignierAromatic, woody and unmistakably bitter — sweetness first, tannin second, and a long dry finish.MonofloralSlow
- Heather honeyStrong, smoky and slightly bitter, with a lingering woodfire-and-toffee character. One of the most complex honeys produced anywhere.MonofloralVery slow
- Strawberry tree honeyMiele di corbezzoloAggressively bitter — coffee grounds, artichoke and burnt sugar, with the sweetness arriving late and briefly. Nothing in food prepares most people for it.MonofloralFast
- Sidr honeyعسل سدرRich, dark and layered — caramel and dried fruit first, then a faintly medicinal bitterness and a long savoury finish. Complex in a way few honeys are.MonofloralVery slow
- Avocado honeyDark, buttery and molasses-rich with a savoury, almost salty edge. Nothing about it suggests the fruit.MonofloralSlow
- Oak honeydew honeyΒελανιδόμελο / Meşe balıEarthy, salty and barely sweet, with a bitter-mineral depth and a finish more like a stock or a yeast extract than a sweetener.HoneydewVery slow
- Tualang honeyMadu tualangSharply sour and dark, with a fermented-fruit tang over a molasses base — genuinely unlike any temperate honey, and an acquired taste.MultifloralVery slow
- Mad honeyDeli balBitter, sharp and astringent with a burnt-caramel edge and a distinct throat-catching sensation that is not a flavour but a pharmacological effect.MonofloralSlow
- Carob honeyMiel de algarroboDark, malty and distinctly savoury with a fermented, almost cheesy note that people either find fascinating or cannot get past.MonofloralModerate
- Chinese jujube honey枣花蜜Rich and dark with dried dates and burnt caramel, and a genuine bitterness on the finish that sets it apart from its Middle Eastern relatives.MonofloralSlow
- Neem honeyनीम शहदDistinctly bitter with a herbal, faintly medicinal character over a restrained sweetness — one of the least conventionally pleasant honeys in the catalogue, and deliberately so.MonofloralSlow
- Mahua honeyमहुआ शहदHeavy and molasses-like with a fermented dried-fruit note and a faintly smoky finish — one of the more challenging Indian honeys and among the most distinctive.MonofloralSlow
- Euphorbia honeyعسل الدغموسOverwhelmingly pungent — a sharp peppery burn at the back of the throat that builds for some seconds after swallowing and dominates everything else. Beneath it there is a warm caramel sweetness that most people never get to.MonofloralSlow
- Ailanthus honeyMiele di ailantoIntensely aromatic — muscat grape and elderflower with a medicinal edge. It divides opinion more sharply than any other European honey.MonofloralModerate
- Holm oak honeydew honeyMielato de encinaDark, savoury and barely sweet, with malt, liquorice and a genuine salt-mineral depth. As far from what people expect honey to be as anything in the catalogue.HoneydewVery slow
- Durian honeyMadu durianPungent, savoury and unmistakably related to the fruit — a sulphurous undertone over dark caramel. It divides opinion as sharply as durian itself.MonofloralVery slow
- Scaptotrigona honeyMiel de congoSharp, resinous and distinctly woody, with a fermented-fruit edge. Among the more challenging stingless honeys and one of the most prized within its region.MultifloralVery slow
Honey guides
- What is honey?Honey is nectar that bees have concentrated and chemically altered, then sealed in wax. Every property people notice about it — the sweetness, the keeping quality, the setting — follows from that process.
- What makes honey expensivePrice tracks scarcity, harvest difficulty and certification cost far more than it tracks quality. Understanding which of those you are paying for is most of the skill in buying honey.
- Why some honeys are rareRarity in honey almost always comes down to botany and weather rather than to deliberate restriction. Understanding the mechanism explains why supply swings so violently from year to year.
- How honey is gradedHoney grading measures colour, moisture, clarity and flavour defects. It says almost nothing about how good the honey tastes, which is a deliberate limitation rather than an oversight.
- How honey quality is assessedThere are four separate questions hiding inside is this good honey — is it authentic, is it what it says, is it well made, and do I like it. They have different answers and different tests.
- How to taste honeyHoney has a formal sensory-analysis tradition, and the useful parts of it work perfectly well at a kitchen table.
- How to read a honey labelSome words on a honey jar are legally defined. Most of the prominent ones are not, and the difference is not signposted anywhere on the packaging.
- How to store honeyHoney needs very little, but the two things it does need are the two things a kitchen usually gets wrong.
- Types of honey: how the catalogue actually dividesHoney is sorted four different ways at once — by floral source, by colour, by texture and by processing — and a jar label usually mixes them. Knowing which axis a word belongs to is most of what it takes to read one.
- Manuka honey grading: UMF, MGO and what the numbers meanManuka is sold on numbers that most buyers cannot interpret and that several sellers would rather they did not. Here is what each system measures, which ones are audited, and what a high number does and does not buy.
- Honeycomb: what it is, and how to eat itComb honey is honey as it left the bees, still in the wax they built to hold it. You can eat the wax, it will not harm you, and there is a reasonable argument that it is the most honest product in the category.
- Is honey vegan? The argument in fullBy the standard definition, no — and the argument is more interesting than the answer. It turns on what beekeeping actually does to bees, where the evidence is clearer than either side usually admits.
- Is local honey different?Yes, in several real ways — and not in the way it is usually sold. Local honey is genuinely more traceable, more variable and less processed. It does not treat your hay fever.
- Mild honeys: a guide to the gentle end of the catalogueA shortlist of the honeys that sweeten without asserting themselves, and what distinguishes them from one another when there is so little to distinguish.
- Strong honeys: a guide to the assertive endA shortlist of the honeys that demand attention, sorted by which kind of strength they have — because aroma, bitterness and mineral weight are three different problems.
- Floral honeys: the perfumed end of the catalogueA shortlist of the honeys that genuinely smell of flowers, which is a much smaller group than the marketing suggests.
- Fruity honeysA small group of honeys that taste recognisably of fruit — sometimes of the fruit their own plant produces, which is a coincidence worth understanding.
- Dark honeysDark honeys are higher in minerals and phenolic compounds than pale ones, which makes them stronger, more savoury and — in laboratory terms though not in clinical ones — more antioxidant-rich.
- What is stingless bee honey?Honey from a completely different group of bees — wetter, sharper, stored in pots rather than comb, and produced in litres rather than tens of kilograms. It is not a variety of honey. It is a different product.
Narrow it down
The honey finder filters the catalogue by intensity, colour, crystallisation and use. The comparison tool puts two or three side by side.