Oak honeydew honey

Oak honeydew honey is a honeydew honey that bees make from the sugary excretions of aphids and other insects feeding on oaks (Quercus). European data attribute honeydew honey from broadleaved trees mainly to various oak species; in central Europe such honey is often sold simply as forest honey.

In Bulgaria, the protected Strandzhanski manov med comes from the oak forests of the Strandzha massif, dominated by sessile oak and Hungarian oak. Honeydew there is produced by aphids (Lachnus roboris and others), the acorn weevil and the chestnut tortrix, and the honey is harvested in June–August. It is brown to almost black with a greenish tint, slightly acidic and bitter, with an aroma of roasted fruit and caramel; its conductivity must exceed 0.95 mS/cm.

In Spain, Miel de Liébana covers honeydew from oak and holm oak: very dark amber, almost black, fluid, with a very low tendency to crystallise and distinctly salty notes; Miel de Asturias describes oak honey as very dark amber with a clear malty component. A Spanish study found honey from Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica) darker than that from holm oak (Q. ilex).

Bulgarian samples from Burgas measured 80–134 mm Pfund, 15.2–18.4 % water and 0.80–1.33 mS/cm.

Why this matters to you: oak honeydew is savoury and malty rather than flowery; if you like dark honeys, look for oak, encina or Strandzha on the label.