Miel de tilleul de Picardie
Also known as: Picardie lime honey, Picardy linden honey
Miel de tilleul de Picardie is a monofloral lime (linden) honey with an EU protected geographical indication (PGI) from Picardie in northern France.
Miel de tilleul de Picardie is honey with an EU protected geographical indication (PGI), made by bees from the nectar of lime (linden) flowers in Picardie, northern France. It is a monofloral honey, liquid or crystallised, pale straw yellow with greenish tints and a fresh, mentholated taste.
Electrical conductivity is at most 0.7 mS/cm, water at most 18 % and HMF at most 10 mg/kg after extraction. Pollen of chestnut, lime or bramble marks the area. Every stage from placing the hives to harvesting from the supers takes place in the area: 324 municipalities in Aisne, 585 in Oise, 22 in Somme, 539 in Pas-de-Calais and 11 in Val d'Oise.
The aroma is herbal with fresh mentholated notes, the taste refreshing, astringent and moderately sweet. Picardie has a cool maritime climate and broadleaved forests; lime makes up 3.2 % of the regional stock, about 7,600 hectares, mostly small-leaved lime, which gives over 500 kg of nectar per hectare against about 200 kg for large-leaved lime. Beekeepers move hives in June and July, just before the limes bloom. A trade dictionary of 1770 already named the "yellow honey of Picardie".
Why this matters to you: according to the specification, this honey is lighter and more mentholated than other lime honeys, which are darker with caramel notes.
Facts
| Registered | PGI; Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2275 |
|---|---|
| Region | Picardie: municipalities in Aisne, Oise, Somme, Pas-de-Calais, Val d'Oise |
| Raw material | Lime nectar (Tilia sp.), monofloral |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2025/2275; single document 2025 |
| Taste | Pale, herbal, mentholated, astringent |
| Botanical origin | Tilia cordata, T. platyphyllos |
| Moisture | ≤18 % |
| Colour | Pale straw-yellow with greenish tints |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Miel de tilleul de Picardie → kind of → Monofloral honey → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Protected honey names, Monofloral honey
- Similar and different
- Lime (linden) honey
- In other topics
- Lime tree (linden)
Frequently asked questions
What do bees make Miel de tilleul de Picardie from?
From the nectar of lime flowers (Tilia sp.); it is a monofloral honey.
What are its colour and taste?
Pale straw yellow with greenish tints; herbal aroma with mentholated notes, refreshing and astringent taste.
What are the conductivity, water and HMF limits?
Conductivity at most 0.7 mS/cm, water at most 18 %, HMF at most 10 mg/kg after extraction.
Where is this honey produced?
In municipalities of Aisne, Oise, Somme, Pas-de-Calais and Val d'Oise; every stage up to harvest takes place in the area.
Is it true that any lime honey from northern France carries this name?
No. The honey must come from the area and meet the requirements for conductivity, water, HMF, pollen and taste.
What to read next
- Lime (linden) honey — Monofloral honey from lime (linden) nectar: light to medium in colour, with a fresh woody aroma and an astringent taste.
- Lime tree (linden) — Lime, or linden (Tilia), is a tree that gives bees very good nectar.
Similar
Yenice Ihlamur Balı · Ağrı Geven Balı · Elazığ Geven Balı · Meli Kissouri · Banski kestenov med · Zagorski bagremov 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 tilleul de Picardie (EUGI00000020047)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2275 (11.11.2025), registration of Miel de tilleul de Picardie
- Single document 'Miel de tilleul de Picardie', OJ C/2025/4122, 24.7.2025 (EUR-Lex)