Dalmatinski med
Also known as: Dalmatian honey
Croatian honey with a protected designation of origin (PDO) from Dalmatia, covering eight types: sage, Jerusalem thorn, savory, heather, mandarin, blossom and two honeydew honeys.
Dalmatinski med is a Croatian honey with a protected designation of origin (PDO), made by Carniolan honey bees in four Dalmatian counties. The name covers eight types: sage, Jerusalem thorn, savory, heather, mandarin, blossom (multifloral), Montpellier maple honeydew and deciduous-tree honeydew.
All types have water of at most 18 % (savory and heather up to 18.5 %) and HMF of at most 15 mg/kg. Sage honey is light to dark amber with a greenish sheen, heather honey brown with orange and red shades, mandarin honey light yellow to orange. The mandarins come from the Neretva delta, and the Montpellier maple honeydew is left by an insect, Acericerus heydenii; that honey stays viscous for a long time.
Bees are not fed while foraging and processing stays below 40 °C. Foraging, extraction, filtering and packing all happen in Dalmatia. Pliny already praised honey from the island of Šolta, where a beekeeping cooperative has existed since 1875.
Why this matters to you: the jar must state the type, producer and year, so choose by taste: sage and savory for herbal notes, honeydew for caramel ones.
Facts
| Registered | PDO; Impl. Reg. (EU) 2024/2114 |
|---|---|
| Region | Zadar, Šibenik-Knin, Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva counties (Croatia) |
| Raw material | Sage, Jerusalem thorn, savory, heather, mandarin, mixed flowers, honeydew |
| Legal basis | Single document OJ C/2024/2510; Impl. Reg. (EU) 2024/2114 |
| Taste | Eight types; light yellow to dark brown; herbal and caramel notes |
| Sweetness | Water ≤18 % (18.5 % savory, heather); HMF ≤15 mg/kg |
| Botanical origin | Salvia officinalis, Paliurus spina-christi, Satureja, Erica, Citrus |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Dalmatinski med → kind of → Polyfloral honey → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Protected honey names, Polyfloral honey
- Similar and different
- Sage honey
- Which plants it comes from
- Common sage
Frequently asked questions
Is it a PDO or a PGI?
It is a PDO (protected designation of origin), entered in the EU register in 2022.
Where is Dalmatinski med produced?
In four Dalmatian counties: Zadar, Šibenik-Knin, Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva.
Which types does the name cover?
Sage, Jerusalem thorn, savory, heather, mandarin, blossom, Montpellier maple honeydew and deciduous honeydew.
What makes the honeydew from Montpellier maple unusual?
It is left by an insect, Acericerus heydenii, not by aphids or scale insects as usual.
Is it true that this is always a single-flower honey?
No. Blossom honey is multifloral and two types are honeydew; five are monofloral.
Similar
Istarski med / Istrski med · Miel de Ibiza · Miel de La Alcarria · Slavonski med · Miele della Lunigiana · Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi
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
- eAmbrosia: Dalmatinski med (PDO)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2114 (registration of Dalmatinski med)
- Single document Dalmatinski med, OJ C/2024/2510