Miel d'Alsace
Also known as: Alsace honey, Miel d'Alsace PGI
Miel d'Alsace is honey with an EU protected geographical indication (PGI) from Alsace, France: blossom, acacia, lime, chestnut, fir and forest honey.
Miel d'Alsace is honey with an EU protected geographical indication (PGI) from the departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin in Alsace, France. The name covers six kinds of honey: blossom, acacia, lime, chestnut, fir and forest. The apiaries must stand in Alsace.
Lime and chestnut honey come from nectar and/or honeydew, fir honey from conifer honeydew, forest honey from a mix of flowers and honeydew. Water is at most 18 %, HMF up to 15 mg/kg in the year of harvest and up to 30 mg/kg in storage. Extraction, storage and packing may take place outside Alsace.
Acacia honey is very pale, delicate, with a hint of vanilla. Lime honey smells of fresh mint and ends bitter, chestnut honey of warm wood, and fir honey is deep brown with a resinous, balsamic scent. Alsace has a semi-continental climate; abbey records from the 8th to the 12th century mention wax and honey, and the beekeeping society of Alsace and Lorraine was founded in 1868.
Why this matters to you: look on the label for the kind of honey, not only the name, and for the producer when a packer filled the jar.
Facts
| Registered | PGI; Regulation (EC) No 736/2005 |
|---|---|
| Region | Alsace: Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments, France |
| Raw material | Nectar and/or honeydew; six kinds of honey |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EC) No 736/2005; single document amended 2024 |
| Taste | From delicate acacia to resinous fir |
| Botanical origin | Robinia pseudoacacia, Tilia, Castanea, Abies |
| Moisture | ≤18 % |
| Colour | Acacia: very light; lime: light yellow – dark yellow; fir: deep brown |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Miel d'Alsace → kind of → Polyfloral honey → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Protected honey names, Polyfloral honey
- Similar and different
- Forest honey
Frequently asked questions
Which kinds of honey carry the name Miel d'Alsace?
Six: blossom, acacia, lime, chestnut, fir and forest honey.
What are the water and HMF limits?
Water at most 18 %; HMF up to 15 mg/kg in the harvest year and up to 30 mg/kg in storage.
Where does the honey come from?
From apiaries in the departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin in Alsace.
What is known about the history of beekeeping in Alsace?
Abbey records from the 8th to the 12th century mention wax and honey; a beekeeping society for Alsace and Lorraine was formed in 1868.
Is it true that Miel d'Alsace is packed only in Alsace?
No. Apiaries must be in Alsace, but extraction, storage and packing may take place elsewhere.
Similar
Miel de Ibiza · Miel de La Alcarria · Slavonski med · Miele della Lunigiana · Miele delle Dolomiti Bellunesi · Miód drahimski
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 — EU register of geographical indications: Miel d'Alsace (EUGI00000013596)
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 736/2005 (OJ L 122, 14.5.2005), registration of Miel d'Alsace
- Single document 'Miel d'Alsace', OJ C/2024/6978, 19.11.2024 (EUR-Lex)