The diversity of honey

"The term varietal honey refers to honeys whose botanical source consists largely of a single plant; among the best known are sweet chestnut or acacia honey. Almost half of the 100 European varietal honeys originate in the Alps." (Excerpt from the book "Honey of the Alps," authors Johannes Gruber and Dominik Flammer).

As indicated above, varietal honeys do not consist entirely of nectar from a single plant, as bees always collect portions from other plants as well. The identification of a varietal honey and its naming are determined through precise laboratory analyses, in which the predominant proportion of one plant must exceed a defined percentage.

Every good honey is unique and a reflection of the landscape in which it was produced, because the bees only collect nectar and honeydew within a radius of about four kilometers from their location. When honey from different locations is mixed together to achieve larger sales volumes, the individual landscape character of the honey is lost.

Honey varieties differ not only in origin but also in terms of extraction method, taste, and color. The honey flow, i.e., the source of nectar and honeydew, during a bee year has a significant influence on the character of a honey. Therefore, no two honey harvests are the same.

Distinction between blossom honey and forest honey

Blossom honey is made from flower nectar, a sugary sap from plants. Bees and other insects are attracted by the sweet scent of the sugary liquid once it has collected in the nectar cup.

Forest honey, on the other hand, is obtained from honeydew, which is produced by insects such as aphids and scale insects. These insects feed on the sap of various plants and excrete the excess liquid in the form of honeydew. This leaves a sticky film on the leaves, needles, and twigs, which the bees absorb and process into honey in the hive. Honeydew honey includes fir honey and leaf honey, among others. In contrast to blossom honey, honeydew honey is darker in color and has a spicy, bitter flavor.