Acacia honey
Also known as: Black locust honey, Robinia honey
Monofloral honey from the nectar of black locust (Robinia): almost colourless to pale yellow, mild and very sweet, and it stays liquid for a long time.
Acacia honey is a blossom honey that bees make mainly from the nectar of false acacia, or black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). It is a monofloral honey: the name points to one plant. It is very pale, tastes sweet and mild, and stays liquid for a long time.
Under EU Directive 2001/110/EC, blossom honey must contain at least 60 g of fructose and glucose together per 100 g. For honey from false acacia the sucrose limit is raised to 10 g, against 5 g for most honeys.
The Kraški med specification describes acacia honey as almost colourless to straw-yellow, always clear, with a very mild scent of fresh wax, acacia blossom and vanilla, and little or no acidity. It does not crystallise; how fast honey crystallises depends on its glucose and water content.
The label must name the country where the honey was harvested. Nothing may be added to honey, and it must not be heated enough to destroy its natural enzymes. Heat and time raise HMF, the main marker of deterioration.
Why this matters to you: if you want a pale, mild honey that stays liquid in the jar, acacia is the usual pick. The name on the label should mean nectar mainly from one plant, false acacia, and the higher sucrose limit of 10 g is written into the law for exactly this honey.
Facts
| Raw material | Nectar of false acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia) |
|---|---|
| Taste | Sweet to very sweet, little or no acidity |
| Sweetness | Fructose + glucose ≥60 g/100 g; sucrose up to 10 g/100 g |
| Legal basis | EU Directive 2001/110/EC |
| Colour | Almost colourless – straw-yellow |
| Crystallization | Stays liquid for a long time |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Acacia honey → contains → 🍬 Fructose ← contains ← 🍯 Honey
Links
- What it contains
- 🍬 Fructose
- Part of
- Monofloral honey, Blossom and honeydew honey
- Similar and different
- Honeydew honey, Honey crystallisation, Lime (linden) honey, Orange blossom honey, Tupelo honey, Spring honey, Lychee honey, Zagorski bagremov med, Miele Varesino, Kraški med
and 86 more
Langnese, Rigoni di Asiago, Famille Michaud, Lune de Miel, Rowse Honey, Honey Brothers, Medozbir, Langnese Flotte Biene Spender, Rigoni Mielbio Monoflora, Breitsamer Klassische Sorten, Lune de Miel Miels de sélection, Bihophar, Mieli Thun, Apicoltura Casentinese, Serramel, Magyar Méz Manufaktúra, Apidava, Pasika 21, Bihophar Bio & Fairtrade, Apicoltura Casentinese Selezione Bio, Apicoltura Casentinese Selezione Italiana, Apicoltura Casentinese Selezione Regionale Italiana, Apidava Roua Florilor, Apidava Miere Românească, Sądecki Bartnik Miody premium, Sądecki Bartnik Miody ekologiczne, Honey Brothers Monofloral Collection, Pasika 21 Organic Honey, Savannah Bee Company, Yamada Bee Farm, Brezzo, Miel Muria, Darbo, Meli, Čebelarstvo Kozmus, Apimed, Famille Vacher, Svensk Honungsförädling, De Traay, Hoyer, Pastili, Nectar Lux, Brezzo Il Miele Italiano, Brezzo Il Miele Biologico, Meli Liquid honey, De Traay Biologische honing, Yamada Bee Farm Satoyama Honey, Gozinaki, Yamada Bee Farm Selected Imported Honey, Yamada Bee Farm Rare Honey, Lune de Miel Miels bio, Famille Vacher Miels 100 % français, Med Podillia Marbee, Pastili BioHoney, Pastili BioComb Honeycomb, Pastili Bulgarian Balkans Honey, Breitsamer, Breitsamer Akazienhonig, Magyar Méz Manufaktúra Akácméz, Mieli Thun Acacia, Pasika 21 Dzyzhchannia v akatsiiakh, Honey Brothers Acacia Honey, Medozbir Med akatsii, Serramel Mel de Acácia, Apidava Roua Florilor Miere Salcâm, Sądecki Bartnik Miód ekologiczny akacjowy, Sądecki Bartnik Miód akacjowy, Apicoltura Casentinese Miele di Acacia bio, Rowse Acacia Honey, Apidava Miere din Stupină Salcâm, Med Podillia Akatsiievyi med, Yamada Bee Farm Satoyama Acacia Honey, Brezzo Miele Italiano di Acacia, Čebelarstvo Kozmus Ekološki akacijev med, Apimed Slovenský včelí med agátový, Famille Vacher Miel d'acacia de France, Pastili BioComb Acacia Honeycomb, Nectar Lux Fagure cu Miere de Salcâm, Brezzo Miele di Acacia Biologico, Meli Acacia honey in squeeze bottle, Yamada Bee Farm Romanian Acacia Honey, Yamada Bee Farm Organic Romanian Acacia Honey, Lune de Miel Miel d’acacia BIO, Marbee Honey Acacia, Pastili Acacia BioHoney, Pastili Bulgarian Balkans Acacia Honey - In other topics
- Honey plants
- Which plants it comes from
- Black locust
Frequently asked questions
What is acacia honey made from?
From the nectar of false acacia, or black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), collected by honeybees.
What does acacia honey look and taste like?
Almost colourless to straw-yellow, clear, sweet to very sweet with little or no acidity and a mild aroma.
Does acacia honey crystallise?
In the Kraški med specification it stays liquid. Crystallisation depends on glucose and water content.
Is it true that crystallised honey has gone bad or is adulterated with sugar?
No, this is a common misconception. Most honeys crystallise at normal storage temperatures, and the crystals are glucose.
Which sugar limits apply to acacia honey?
Blossom honey needs at least 60 g of fructose and glucose together per 100 g; for false acacia honey sucrose may reach 10 g, against 5 g for most honeys.
What to read next
- Honey plants — Plants from which bees collect nectar and pollen: black locust, lime, buckwheat, sunflower, rapeseed, chestnut, heather, lavender.
- Zagorski bagremov med — Croatian acacia (black locust) honey with a protected designation of origin (PDO) from Hrvatsko Zagorje: near-colourless, long liquid, with over 27 % acacia pollen.
- Pastili BioComb Acacia Honeycomb — Organic acacia honey in the comb from a mountain region of Bulgaria.
- Lime (linden) honey — Monofloral honey from lime (linden) nectar: light to medium in colour, with a fresh woody aroma and an astringent taste.
- Honey crystallisation — The natural process in which glucose in honey forms crystals: honey thickens, turns lighter and becomes solid or creamy; it is not a sign of spoilage or fake honey.
Similar
Lime (linden) honey · Chestnut honey · Lavender honey · Sunflower honey · Buckwheat honey · Heather honey
ℹ️ Honey is mostly sugars: about 82 g per 100 g. Do not give honey to babies under 1 year old because of the risk of infant botulism.
Sources
- Council Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey (consolidated text, EUR-Lex)
- Single document Kraški med, OJ C 290, 26.09.2012 (EUR-Lex)
- FAO, Krell R. (1996) Value-added products from beekeeping, Chapter 2 Honey
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- WHO Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children (2015)