HONEY VARIETALS
© 2022 NATIONAL HONEY BOARD. ALL RIGHT RESERVED.
The story of honey is older than history itself. An 8,000-year-old cave painting1 in Spain depicts honey harvesting, and we know it's been used for food, medicine and more by cultures all over the world since.
But honey isn't about humans. It's the natural product made by bees—one of our planet's most important animals. Honey bees visit millions of blossoms in their lifetimes, making pollination of plants possible and collecting nectar to bring back to the hive.
Lucky for us, bees make more honey than their colony needs, and beekeepers remove the excess and bottle it. Just like they've been doing since the beginning of time.
Source: 1 Ullmann, Fritz (2003). Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. John Wiley & Sons
Honey is a one-ingredient recipe made by bees, flowers and mother nature herself.
The color, flavor, and even aroma of honey differs, depending on the nectar of flowers visited by the bees that made it. There are more than 300 unique types of honey available in the United States alone, each originating from a different floral source.
Their shades range from nearly colorless to dark brown, while flavors go from subtle to bold; even the aroma of honey may be reminiscent of the flower. As a general rule, the flavor of light-colored honey is milder, and the flavor of darker-colored honey is stronger.
Varietal honey may be best compared to wine in terms of climatic changes. Even the same flower blooming in the same location may produce slightly different nectar from year to year, depending on temperature and rainfall.
The color, flavor, and even aroma of honey differs, depending on the nectar of flowers visited by the bees that made it. There are more than 300 unique types of honey available in the United States alone, each originating from a different floral source.
Their shades range from nearly colorless to dark brown, while flavors go from subtle to bold; even the aroma of honey may be reminiscent of the flower. As a general rule, the flavor of light-colored honey is milder, and the flavor of darker-colored honey is stronger.
Varietal honey may be best compared to wine in terms of climatic changes. Even the same flower blooming in the same location may produce slightly different nectar from year to year, depending on temperature and rainfall.
Honey Color and Flavor - It all depends on where the bees buzz
The color and flavor of honeys differ depending on the nectar source (the blossoms) visited by the honey bees. In fact, there are more than 300 unique types of honey available in the United States, each originating from a different floral source. Honey color ranges from nearly colorless to dark brown, and its flavor varies from delectably mild to distinctively bold, depending on where the honey bees buzzed. As a general rule, light-colored honey is milder in taste and dark-colored honey is stronger.
Honey is produced in every state, but depending on floral source location, certain types of honey are produced only in a few regions. Honey is also produced in most countries of the world.
Following is a look at some of the most common U.S. honey floral varieties. To learn more about available types of honey in your area, contact a local beekeeper, beekeeping association or honey packer. For help finding a honey packer or a specific floral source, visit the Honey Locator.
ALFALFA
Alfalfa honey, produced extensively throughout Canada and the United States from the purple blossoms, is light in color with a pleasingly mild flavor and aroma.
AVOCADO
Avocado honey is gathered from California avocado blossoms. Avocado honey is dark in color, with a rich, buttery taste. A subtropical fruit that requires bee pollination, the avocado is the source of unique honey that is dark amber in color with a smooth, velvety texture and rich flavor featuring notes of caramelized molasses. Its robust flavor and dramatic coloring make avocado honey a great choice for use in rich desserts such as chocolate and nut tarts or as a welcome accompaniment for pancakes, waffles, and ice cream.
BLUEBERRY
Taken from the tiny white flowers of the blueberry bush, the nectar makes a honey which is typically light amber in color and with a full, well-rounded flavor. Blueberry honey is produced in New England and in Michigan. Blueberry honey has an aroma of green leaves with a touch of lemon. Moderately fruity in flavor, it also has a delicate, slightly buttery finish. This unique flavor pairs well with yogurts, walnuts, melons, sour cream, and crème Fraiche.
BUCKWHEAT
Buckwheat honey is dark and full-bodied. It is produced in Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as in eastern Canada. Buckwheat honey has been found to contain more antioxidant compounds than some lighter honeys. Buckwheat is a summer annual that blooms late into fall. Its nectar produces dark flavorful honey with marked molasses and malt flavors and a lingering aftertaste. The color and flavor of the honey may vary by region. Its strong flavor makes it a popular ingredient in hearty baked goods and barbecue sauces. It also pairs well with strong cheeses, grapefruit, or as maple syrup and molasses replacement.
CLOVER
Clover honey has a pleasing, mild taste. Clovers contribute more to honey production in the United States than any other group of plants. Red clover, Alsike clover and the white and yellow sweet clovers are most important for honey production. Depending on the location and type of source clover, clover honey varies in color from water white to light amber to amber. Popular in pantries across the country, clover honey has a sweet, flowery aroma with a pleasing, mild taste. Made from several types of clover plants, including White Dutch, Red, Sweet, and White, it’s blended to produce a honey that excels on the table or in the oven
EUCALYPTUS
Eucalyptus honey comes from one of the larger plant genera, containing over 500 distinct species and many hybrids. As may be expected with a diverse group of plants, eucalyptus honey varies greatly in color and flavor but tends to be a stronger flavored honey with a slight medicinal scent. It is produced in California.
FIREWEED
Fireweed honey is light in color and comes from a perennial herb that creates wonderful bee pasture in the Northern and Pacific states and Canada. Fireweed grows in the open woods, reaching a height of three to five feet and spikes attractive pinkish flowers.
ORANGE BLOSSOM
Orange blossom honey, often a combination of citrus sources, is usually light in color and mild in flavor with a fresh scent and light citrus taste. Orange blossom honey is produced in Florida, Southern California and parts of Texas. A leading honey plant in southern Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California, orange trees bloom in the spring, producing a white to extra light amber honey with a pronounced orange aroma. It has a sweet, fruity taste that’s great on the table, in salad dressings and marinades.
If you’re planning a wine and cheese night, take your cheese plate to the next level by drizzling orange blossom honey on the cheese. The sweet, fruity taste pairs well with favorites such as Brie, goat cheese, and Camembert.
SAGE
Sage honey, primarily produced in California, is light in color, heavy bodied and has a mild but delightful flavor. It is extremely slow to granulate, making it a favorite among honey packers for blending with other honeys to slow down granulation.
TUPELO
Tupelo honey is a premium honey produced in northwest Florida. It is heavy bodied and is usually light golden amber with a greenish cast and has a mild, distinctive taste. Because of the high fructose content in Tupelo honey, it granulates very slowly.
WILDFLOWER
Wildflower honey is often used to describe honey from miscellaneous and undefined flower sources. Often used to describe honey from miscellaneous and undefined flower sources. Amber to dark amber in color with mild floral overtones, it’s extremely versatile. Delicious in fruit and vegetable salad dressings, baked goods, and as a table staple.
HONEY BLENDS
While different types of honey are available, most honey, especially honey supplied in bulk, is blended to create a unique and consistent taste and color.
FORMS OF HONEY
Most of us know honey as a liquid in a bottle, but there are lots of other ways to enjoy this natural nectar. Comb, crystallized, liquid, whipped, and beyond—it just depends on what texture and usage you're looking for. Between the vast array of varietals and diversity of forms, there's a perfect kind of honey out there for every occasion.
Why do bees make honey?
Honey bees collect nectar to create honey and store as food because it provides the energy for bees' flight muscles and provides heating for the hive in the winter. Fortunately, honey bees will make more honey than the colony needs, so it is necessary for beekeepers to harvest the excess, which they bottle.
Made Naturally by Nature
From Bee
Honey starts as flower nectar collected by bees, which gets broken down into simple sugars stored inside the honeycomb. The design of the honeycomb and constant fanning of the bees' wings causes evaporation, creating sweet liquid honey. Honey's color and flavor vary based on the nectar collected by the bees. For example, honey made from orange blossom nectar might be light in color, whereas honey from avocado or wildflowers might have a dark amber color.
To Hive
On average, a hive will produce about 55 pounds of surplus honey each year. Beekeepers harvest it by collecting the honeycomb frames and scraping off the wax cap that bees make to seal off honey in each cell. Once the caps are removed, the frames are placed in an extractor, a centrifuge that spins the frames, forcing honey out of the comb.
To Home
After the honey is extracted, it’s strained to remove any remaining wax and other particles. Some beekeepers and bottlers might heat the honey to make this process easier, but that doesn't alter the liquid's natural composition.
After straining, it's time to bottle, label, and bring it to you. It doesn't matter if the container is glass or plastic, or if the honey is purchased at the grocery store or farmers’ market. If the ingredient label says “pure honey,” nothing was added from bee to hive to bottle
© 2022 NATIONAL HONEY BOARD. ALL RIGHT RESERVED.T RESERVED.
The color and flavor of honeys differ depending on the nectar source (the blossoms) visited by the honey bees. In fact, there are more than 300 unique types of honey available in the United States, each originating from a different floral source. Honey color ranges from nearly colorless to dark brown, and its flavor varies from delectably mild to distinctively bold, depending on where the honey bees buzzed. As a general rule, light-colored honey is milder in taste and dark-colored honey is stronger.
Honey is produced in every state, but depending on floral source location, certain types of honey are produced only in a few regions. Honey is also produced in most countries of the world.
Following is a look at some of the most common U.S. honey floral varieties. To learn more about available types of honey in your area, contact a local beekeeper, beekeeping association or honey packer. For help finding a honey packer or a specific floral source, visit the Honey Locator.
ALFALFA
Alfalfa honey, produced extensively throughout Canada and the United States from the purple blossoms, is light in color with a pleasingly mild flavor and aroma.
AVOCADO
Avocado honey is gathered from California avocado blossoms. Avocado honey is dark in color, with a rich, buttery taste. A subtropical fruit that requires bee pollination, the avocado is the source of unique honey that is dark amber in color with a smooth, velvety texture and rich flavor featuring notes of caramelized molasses. Its robust flavor and dramatic coloring make avocado honey a great choice for use in rich desserts such as chocolate and nut tarts or as a welcome accompaniment for pancakes, waffles, and ice cream.
BLUEBERRY
Taken from the tiny white flowers of the blueberry bush, the nectar makes a honey which is typically light amber in color and with a full, well-rounded flavor. Blueberry honey is produced in New England and in Michigan. Blueberry honey has an aroma of green leaves with a touch of lemon. Moderately fruity in flavor, it also has a delicate, slightly buttery finish. This unique flavor pairs well with yogurts, walnuts, melons, sour cream, and crème Fraiche.
BUCKWHEAT
Buckwheat honey is dark and full-bodied. It is produced in Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as in eastern Canada. Buckwheat honey has been found to contain more antioxidant compounds than some lighter honeys. Buckwheat is a summer annual that blooms late into fall. Its nectar produces dark flavorful honey with marked molasses and malt flavors and a lingering aftertaste. The color and flavor of the honey may vary by region. Its strong flavor makes it a popular ingredient in hearty baked goods and barbecue sauces. It also pairs well with strong cheeses, grapefruit, or as maple syrup and molasses replacement.
CLOVER
Clover honey has a pleasing, mild taste. Clovers contribute more to honey production in the United States than any other group of plants. Red clover, Alsike clover and the white and yellow sweet clovers are most important for honey production. Depending on the location and type of source clover, clover honey varies in color from water white to light amber to amber. Popular in pantries across the country, clover honey has a sweet, flowery aroma with a pleasing, mild taste. Made from several types of clover plants, including White Dutch, Red, Sweet, and White, it’s blended to produce a honey that excels on the table or in the oven
EUCALYPTUS
Eucalyptus honey comes from one of the larger plant genera, containing over 500 distinct species and many hybrids. As may be expected with a diverse group of plants, eucalyptus honey varies greatly in color and flavor but tends to be a stronger flavored honey with a slight medicinal scent. It is produced in California.
FIREWEED
Fireweed honey is light in color and comes from a perennial herb that creates wonderful bee pasture in the Northern and Pacific states and Canada. Fireweed grows in the open woods, reaching a height of three to five feet and spikes attractive pinkish flowers.
ORANGE BLOSSOM
Orange blossom honey, often a combination of citrus sources, is usually light in color and mild in flavor with a fresh scent and light citrus taste. Orange blossom honey is produced in Florida, Southern California and parts of Texas. A leading honey plant in southern Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California, orange trees bloom in the spring, producing a white to extra light amber honey with a pronounced orange aroma. It has a sweet, fruity taste that’s great on the table, in salad dressings and marinades.
If you’re planning a wine and cheese night, take your cheese plate to the next level by drizzling orange blossom honey on the cheese. The sweet, fruity taste pairs well with favorites such as Brie, goat cheese, and Camembert.
SAGE
Sage honey, primarily produced in California, is light in color, heavy bodied and has a mild but delightful flavor. It is extremely slow to granulate, making it a favorite among honey packers for blending with other honeys to slow down granulation.
TUPELO
Tupelo honey is a premium honey produced in northwest Florida. It is heavy bodied and is usually light golden amber with a greenish cast and has a mild, distinctive taste. Because of the high fructose content in Tupelo honey, it granulates very slowly.
WILDFLOWER
Wildflower honey is often used to describe honey from miscellaneous and undefined flower sources. Often used to describe honey from miscellaneous and undefined flower sources. Amber to dark amber in color with mild floral overtones, it’s extremely versatile. Delicious in fruit and vegetable salad dressings, baked goods, and as a table staple.
HONEY BLENDS
While different types of honey are available, most honey, especially honey supplied in bulk, is blended to create a unique and consistent taste and color.
FORMS OF HONEY
Most of us know honey as a liquid in a bottle, but there are lots of other ways to enjoy this natural nectar. Comb, crystallized, liquid, whipped, and beyond—it just depends on what texture and usage you're looking for. Between the vast array of varietals and diversity of forms, there's a perfect kind of honey out there for every occasion.
Why do bees make honey?
Honey bees collect nectar to create honey and store as food because it provides the energy for bees' flight muscles and provides heating for the hive in the winter. Fortunately, honey bees will make more honey than the colony needs, so it is necessary for beekeepers to harvest the excess, which they bottle.
Made Naturally by Nature
From Bee
Honey starts as flower nectar collected by bees, which gets broken down into simple sugars stored inside the honeycomb. The design of the honeycomb and constant fanning of the bees' wings causes evaporation, creating sweet liquid honey. Honey's color and flavor vary based on the nectar collected by the bees. For example, honey made from orange blossom nectar might be light in color, whereas honey from avocado or wildflowers might have a dark amber color.
To Hive
On average, a hive will produce about 55 pounds of surplus honey each year. Beekeepers harvest it by collecting the honeycomb frames and scraping off the wax cap that bees make to seal off honey in each cell. Once the caps are removed, the frames are placed in an extractor, a centrifuge that spins the frames, forcing honey out of the comb.
To Home
After the honey is extracted, it’s strained to remove any remaining wax and other particles. Some beekeepers and bottlers might heat the honey to make this process easier, but that doesn't alter the liquid's natural composition.
After straining, it's time to bottle, label, and bring it to you. It doesn't matter if the container is glass or plastic, or if the honey is purchased at the grocery store or farmers’ market. If the ingredient label says “pure honey,” nothing was added from bee to hive to bottle
© 2022 NATIONAL HONEY BOARD. ALL RIGHT RESERVED.T RESERVED.
