Chestnut honey

Chestnut honey is a monofloral honey from the nectar of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), which grows mostly in Central and Southern Europe at 500–1000 m. It is dark, strongly aromatic and distinctly bitter. EU law requires its electrical conductivity to be at least 0.8 mS/cm, as for honeydew honey, because chestnut can also yield honeydew.

International Honey Commission data (495 samples) describe a dark to very dark colour with a reddish tone, a strong woody aroma, an astringent and very bitter taste. Mean conductivity is 1.38 mS/cm and water 17.5 g/100 g; chestnut pollen is over-represented, 94.5 % on average. Crystallisation is slow, and the honey often stays fluid for a long time.

Protected examples: Banski kestenov med (Croatia, PDO, registered 15 October 2026) is light amber to amber, with an odour of chestnut flowers, wet cardboard and crushed walnut leaves and at least 85 % chestnut pollen; feeding the bees during bloom is forbidden. The chestnut variety of Kraški med is dark brown or amber with a red sheen, bitter, with caramel and smoke notes.

Why this matters to you: bitterness is normal in chestnut honey, not a flaw. The same name covers light amber and very dark honeys, so rely on the country of harvest and the description on the label.