Meli Kissouri

Meli Kissouri is a Greek autumn heather honey with a protected designation of origin (PDO). Bees collect nectar from the purple heather Erica manipuliflora and Erica verticillata around Karistos at the southern tip of the island of Evia. It is a monofloral honey: heather accounts for over 65 % of the pollen from nectar plants.

The colour is dark with red-copper tones, the smell strong and persistent, and the taste slightly bitter. It stays runny for 1 to 3 months and then crystallises because of its high glucose content, with relatively large crystals that can be felt in the mouth. Moisture is up to 19 %, sucrose up to 0.2 %, glucose plus fructose at least 70 % and HMF up to 30 mg/kg.

Heather blooms from above 600 m on Mount Ochi down to sea level. Beekeepers move hives down the slopes until December and harvest in stages. The bees get no feed during the production period, and the honey is never heated above 40 °C during processing. Modern beekeeping in Karistia began in 1910 with Dimitrios Rigas.

Why this matters to you: strong flavour and quick crystallisation are the signature of heather, not a flaw. The crystals are noticeable, so choose another honey if you want a smooth texture.