Miel des Landes
Also known as: Landes honey, Miel des Landes PGI
Miel des Landes is honey with an EU protected geographical indication (PGI) from the Landes in south-western France: six monofloral honeys and a polyfloral honey from wild flora.
Miel des Landes is honey with an EU protected geographical indication (PGI) from the Landes department and neighbouring municipalities of Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne in south-western France. It covers six monofloral honeys and a polyfloral honey from wild flora, and may be liquid, creamy or set.
The monofloral types are acacia, strawberry tree, alder buckthorn, bell heather, heather and chestnut; polyfloral honey may contain honeydew. Water is at most 18.5 % (21 % for heather). HMF is at most 12 mg/kg until the end of the production year, then 25 mg/kg (35 for bell heather). Apiaries must stand in the area; extraction, storage and packing may take place elsewhere.
The area is a sandy plateau with acidic soils (pH 4.5 to 5.5) and maritime pine. Alder buckthorn grows on wet ground, heathers on dry heath, strawberry tree on coastal dunes. Acacia honey is colourless to pale yellow and floral; strawberry tree honey is very bitter with notes of coffee grounds and cocoa; heather honey is brown-red, intense and woody. Heather honey is jelly-like (thixotropic) and can be extracted only with a honey loosener.
Why this matters to you: the label names the plant, so you can tell mild acacia from bitter strawberry tree honey.
Facts
| Registered | PGI; Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2302 |
|---|---|
| Region | Landes department and communes of Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne, France |
| Raw material | Nectar and honeydew of wild flora; six monofloral types and polyfloral |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2026/2302; single document 2026 |
| Taste | From mild acacia to bitter strawberry tree |
| Botanical origin | Robinia pseudoacacia, Arbutus unedo, Frangula alnus, Erica cinerea, Calluna vulgaris, Castanea sativa |
| Moisture | ≤18.5 %; heather ≤21 % |
| Colour | Heather: red-brown; acacia: colourless – very light yellow |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Miel des Landes → kind of → Polyfloral honey → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Protected honey names, Polyfloral honey
- Similar and different
- Strawberry tree honey
- Which plants it comes from
- Strawberry tree
Frequently asked questions
Which kinds of honey carry the name Miel des Landes?
Six monofloral honeys (acacia, strawberry tree, alder buckthorn, bell heather, heather, chestnut) and a polyfloral honey.
What are the water and HMF limits?
Water at most 18.5 %, 21 % for heather; HMF up to 12 mg/kg until the end of the production year, then 25 (35 for bell heather).
Why is heather honey extracted with a special tool?
It is jelly-like (thixotropic), so a honey loosener is needed, and its high moisture calls for careful storage.
What is the landscape like?
A sandy plateau with acidic soils and maritime pine; alder buckthorn grows on wet ground, heathers on dry heath, strawberry tree on dunes.
Is it true that Miel des Landes may contain rapeseed or sunflower pollen?
Only isolated pollen below 15 %: the honey comes from wild flora, and pollen of cultivated nectar crops is allowed only as a trace.
Similar
Miel de Corse - Mele di Corsica · Miel de Asturias · Miel de Ibiza · Miel de La Alcarria · Slavonski med · Miele della Lunigiana
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 des Landes (EUGI00000019538)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2302 (15.10.2026), registration of Miel des Landes
- Single document 'Miel des Landes', OJ C/2026/3214, 17.6.2026 (EUR-Lex)