Orange blossom honey
Orange blossom, or citrus, honey is a monofloral honey from the nectar of Citrus trees, very pale, with a floral, fresh-fruit aroma.
Orange blossom honey, the best-known citrus honey, is what bees make from the flowers of Citrus trees. It is very pale, with a floral, fresh-fruit aroma, moderately sweet and almost without acidity. Spain and Italy produce the most in Europe; outside Europe the main producers are Israel, the USA (California), Brazil and Mexico.
Different species, hybrids and cultivars of Citrus are grown around the Mediterranean for fruit and aromatic essences. All of them attract bees strongly and yield large amounts of monofloral honey, and international reference sheets treat them as a single class.
The colour is very light and the odour medium: fresh fruit, flowers and a hint of anise. There is no bitterness, the aftertaste runs from short to medium and crystallisation is moderate. Conductivity is low, 0.19 mS/cm on average. Enzymes are scarce and sucrose is slightly higher than in most honeys. A chemical marker of origin is methyl anthranilate.
EU law allows up to 10 g of sucrose per 100 g in citrus honey, and a diastase value of at least 3 if HMF stays under 15 mg/kg. The protected name Miel de Granada includes orange blossom (azahar) honey; Miel de Málaga requires at least 15 % orange pollen and says it crystallises slowly.
Why this matters to you: for the lightest, most floral-fruity honey, look for "orange" or "citrus" on the jar. Citrus pollen is hard to see in honey, so pollen counts alone cannot prove the origin.
Facts
| Raw material | Nectar of Citrus, best known from orange |
|---|---|
| Region | Spain, Italy; outside Europe Israel, USA, Brazil, Mexico |
| Taste | Very pale; floral-fruity, weak acidity, no bitterness |
| Sweetness | Sucrose up to 10 g/100 g (EU directive) |
| Crystallization | Moderate; Miel de Málaga specification says slowly |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Orange blossom honey → kind of → Blossom and honeydew honey → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Monofloral honey, Blossom and honeydew honey
- Similar and different
- Acacia honey, Rigoni Mielbio Monoflora, Lune de Miel Miels de sélection, Cherry honey, Avocado honey, Lychee honey, Fruit blossom honey
- Which plants it comes from
- Orange tree (citrus)
Frequently asked questions
Which plants is orange blossom honey made from?
From the nectar of Citrus: oranges and related species, hybrids and cultivars.
What does it look and taste like?
Very pale, with a floral, fruity aroma, medium sweetness, weak acidity and no bitterness.
Where is it produced?
Mainly in Spain and Italy; outside Europe in Israel, the USA, Brazil and Mexico.
Is it true that orange blossom honey must contain a lot of orange pollen?
No. Citrus pollen is under-represented in the honey, so origin is also checked with other traits such as methyl anthranilate.
What is the EU sucrose limit for citrus honey?
Up to 10 g per 100 g, while most honeys are limited to 5 g.
What to read next
- Orange tree (citrus) — Orange and other citrus trees (Citrus) are grown in Mediterranean countries for fruit and aromatic essences; all of them are very attractive to bees.
- Acacia honey — Monofloral honey from the nectar of black locust (Robinia): almost colourless to pale yellow, mild and very sweet, and it stays liquid for a long time.
- Rigoni Mielbio Monoflora — The single-flower line of organic Mielbio honey: acacia, orange, chestnut, eucalyptus and linden.
- Avocado honey — Avocado honey is a dark monofloral honey from the nectar of the avocado tree (Persea americana); in Europe it comes mainly from Spain – Málaga, Granada and Tenerife.
- Fruit blossom honey — Fruit blossom honey is a monofloral honey from the nectar of apple, pear, plum and cherry trees in bloom; light, faintly fruity, with fine, creamy crystals.
Similar
Lychee honey · Eucalyptus honey · Tupelo honey · Thyme honey · Raspberry honey · Dandelion honey
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
- Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey (consolidated text, EUR-Lex)
- Persano Oddo L., Piro R. (2004) Main European unifloral honeys: descriptive sheets. Apidologie 35 (Suppl. 1)
- Single document Miel de Granada PDO (amendment), OJ C/2025/4996 (EUR-Lex)
- Single document Miel de Málaga PDO, OJ C/2025/5297 (EUR-Lex)