Fir honeydew honey

Fir honeydew honey is made by bees not from nectar but from honeydew, the sweet excretions of insects that suck fir sap. It is dark to very dark, with a green fluorescence, a woody, warm aroma and a very thick consistency. It is one kind of honeydew honey in Europe.

Aphids and other insects produce the honeydew on fir trees; the list of honeydew sources names silver fir (Abies alba) and Greek fir (Abies cephalonica). Under the EU directive honeydew honey has an electrical conductivity of at least 0.8 mS/cm and fructose plus glucose of at least 45 g per 100 g; honeydew honeys average 1.20 mS/cm.

Because of its low water content, fir honey is very thick and crystallises slowly. The protected Miel de sapin des Vosges (France) is described as dark brown with pale green highlights, balsamic in aroma and malty in flavour, without bitterness; water up to 18 %, conductivity above 0.95 mS/cm. The Polish Miód spadziowy z Beskidu Wyspowego must be at least 95 % silver fir honeydew, is black-green and crystallises about four months after extraction.

Why this matters to you: fir honey is honeydew, not blossom honey, so it is dark and woody rather than floral. Look for the words "fir" and "honeydew" and the country of harvest on the label, and for the EU logo on protected names.