Sainfoin honey
Sainfoin honey is a monofloral honey from the nectar of common sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), a forage legume.
Sainfoin honey is a monofloral honey produced from the nectar of common sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), a perennial forage legume.
Sainfoin honey is known from Italy, Austria, eastern and south-eastern Europe, Spain, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Switzerland and the British Isles. In Italy it is sold as miele di lupinella.
An Italian study from 2024 analysed a monofloral sainfoin honey from Abruzzo, a commercial organic product sampled in three packages from one production year. It contained 60 volatile compounds; terpenes and norisoprenoids made up 71 % of the total peak area, and hotrienol was the main terpene, at about 53 % of the terpenoid peak area. Among five Italian legume honeys, this sample had the highest total polyphenol content, 408 µg of gallic acid equivalents per gram.
In the EU, Directive 2001/110/EC defines honey as the natural sweet substance produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar of plants, and allows a floral origin on the label only if the honey comes wholly or mainly from that source. Sainfoin is not on the list of honeys with a higher sucrose limit, so the general limits apply: at most 5 g of sucrose per 100 g, at most 20 % moisture and, as a rule, at most 40 mg/kg of hydroxymethylfurfural.
In the French Cévennes, sainfoin pollen turns up as a secondary pollen in the polyfloral Miel des Cévennes.
Why this matters to you: if an Italian jar says "lupinella", it is this same sainfoin honey; the names differ by language, but the plant is the same Onobrychis viciifolia.
Facts
| Botanical origin | Nectar of common sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) |
|---|---|
| Region | Italy, Austria, eastern and south-eastern Europe, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland |
| Taste | Aroma: terpenes and norisoprenoids, mainly hotrienol (Abruzzo sample) |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Sainfoin honey → kind of → Blossom and honeydew honey → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Monofloral honey, Blossom and honeydew honey
- Similar and different
- Clover honey, Alfalfa honey
- Which plants it comes from
- Sainfoin
Frequently asked questions
Which plant gives sainfoin honey?
Common sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), a forage legume.
Where is it produced?
In Italy, Austria, eastern and south-eastern Europe, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the British Isles.
Is it true that Italian miele di lupinella comes from lupins?
No. Lupinella is the Italian name for sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), not for lupin.
Which aromas were found in it?
A sample from Abruzzo held 60 volatile compounds, mostly terpenes and norisoprenoids, with hotrienol as the main terpene.
Why does Miel de Corse exclude sainfoin?
Cultivated sainfoin is a field crop; the specification excludes its honey, like that of rapeseed, sunflower, buckwheat and sulla.
What to read next
- Alfalfa honey — Alfalfa, or lucerne, honey is a monofloral honey from the nectar of Medicago sativa; EU law allows it up to 10 g sucrose per 100 g.
- Clover honey — Clover honey is a monofloral honey from the nectar of clover (Trifolium), most often white clover, light in colour and mild in taste.
Similar
Sulla honey · Mesquite honey · Alfalfa honey · Clover honey · Dandelion honey · Phacelia 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
- Persano Oddo L. et al. (2004) Botanical species giving unifloral honey in Europe. Apidologie 35 (Suppl. 1) S82-S93
- Fratianni F. et al. (2024) Chemical Characterization and Biological Properties of Leguminous Honey. Antioxidants 13: 482
- Council Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey, consolidated text with Annex II composition criteria (EUR-Lex)
- Miel de Corse - Mele di Corsica PDO, amendment application with single document, OJ C 134, 14.5.2013 (EUR-Lex)
- Single document Miel des Cévennes PGI, OJ C 412, 19.11.2014 (EUR-Lex)