Podkarpacki miód spadziowy

Podkarpacki miód spadziowy is honeydew honey with an EU protected designation of origin (PDO) from the forests of the Subcarpathian region of south-eastern Poland: 17 State forest districts and two national parks, Bieszczady and Magura. It is made from silver fir (Abies alba) honeydew, at least 70 %, with possible honeydew from spruce and Scots pine.

The colour runs from dark brown with greenish highlights to almost black, at least 82 mm on the Pfund scale. The honey is thick and highly viscous and sets slowly in fine grains. The taste is mildly sweet and the scent resinous, like conifer needles. Water is up to 19 %, monosaccharides at least 50 %, sucrose up to 4 %, HMF up to 30 mg/kg and diastase at least 10.

It is harvested from early June to the end of September, cold-spun, never filtered or heated above 42 °C, and packed in the area in glass or stoneware up to 1,400 g. Wild beekeeping there is recorded from the 15th century: in 1464 the town of Dębowiec paid a honey tax, and ordinances of 1478 and 1538 regulated bee-keeping.

Why this matters to you: this is mainly fir honeydew honey, so the dark colour and resin scent are its signature; keep it away from light at 10–18 °C.