Miel de Cévennes
Also known as: Cévennes honey, Miel des Cévennes
Miel de Cévennes is honey with an EU protected geographical indication (PGI) from the Cévennes mountains in southern France: polyfloral, heather, chestnut, raspberry and blackberry honey.
Miel de Cévennes is honey with an EU protected geographical indication (PGI) from the Cévennes mountains in southern France, from communes in Ardèche, Aveyron, Gard and Lozère. It is made from flower nectar and is either polyfloral or monofloral: heather, chestnut, raspberry or blackberry. It may be liquid, crystallised or creamy.
Water is at most 19 %, and 21 % for common heather honey; HMF is at most 15 mg/kg at the end of the production year. Pollen of crops that are not typical of the area, such as sunflower, rapeseed, alfalfa and lavender, may appear only as isolated pollen below 15 %. Apiaries must stand in the area, while extraction and packing may take place outside.
Tree heather honey smells of brown caramel and is bitter, common heather honey is dark amber with a gelatinous texture, chestnut honey is woody and tannic, raspberry honey is pale, crystallised and fruity. Mountain and Mediterranean climates meet here; chestnut groves grow from about 400 m, planted in Gallo-Roman times, and old trunk hives called bruscs recall the local tradition.
Why this matters to you: the type decides the taste, as heather and chestnut are strong and bitter, while raspberry and spring polyfloral honey are milder.
Facts
| Registered | PGI; Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/551 |
|---|---|
| Region | Cévennes mountains: communes in Ardèche, Aveyron, Gard and Lozère |
| Raw material | Flower nectar; polyfloral, heather, chestnut, raspberry, blackberry |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2015/551; single document 2014 |
| Taste | Heather and chestnut strong and bitter; raspberry fruity |
| Botanical origin | Erica arborea, E. cinerea, Calluna vulgaris, Castanea, Rubus idaeus, R. fruticosus |
| Moisture | ≤19 %; heather ≤21 % |
| Colour | Erica arborea: brown; Calluna: amber; Rubus idaeus: pale |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Miel de Cévennes → kind of → Polyfloral honey → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Protected honey names, Polyfloral honey
- Similar and different
- Raspberry honey, Blackberry honey, Spring honey
- Which plants it comes from
- Raspberry, Blackberry (bramble)
Frequently asked questions
Which kinds of honey carry the name Miel de Cévennes?
Polyfloral honey and monofloral heather (three heather species), chestnut, raspberry and blackberry honey.
What are the water and HMF limits?
Water at most 19 %, 21 % for common heather; HMF up to 15 mg/kg at the end of the production year.
Where is this honey produced?
In communes of the Cévennes mountains in the departments of Ardèche, Aveyron, Gard and Lozère.
What is known about local tradition?
Honey was once taken from hives carved into chestnut trunks, called bruscs; chestnut groves were planted as early as Gallo-Roman times.
Is it true that this is a lavender honey?
No. Lavender pollen may appear only as isolated pollen below 15 %; the typical plants are heather, chestnut, raspberry and bramble.
What to read next
- Blackberry (bramble) — Blackberry, or bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), is a European berry shrub complex whose flowers give bees nectar for unifloral honey.
- Spring honey — Spring honey is a polyfloral honey from the first nectar flow of the year – fruit trees, willow, dandelion, rapeseed, hawthorn – usually light and mild.
- Blackberry honey — Blackberry (bramble) honey is a monofloral honey from wild blackberry nectar (Rubus), pale to amber, fruity and tart; it crystallises slowly and coarsely.
Similar
Miel wallon · Miel de Galicia · Miel de Corse - Mele di Corsica · Miel de Ibiza · Miel de La Alcarria · Slavonski med
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 de Cévennes (EUGI00000014526)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/551 (OJ L 92, 8.4.2015), registration of Miel des Cévennes
- Single document 'Miel des Cévennes', OJ C 412, 19.11.2014 (EUR-Lex)