Strandzhanski manov med

Strandzhanski manov med is a honeydew honey with an EU protected designation of origin (PDO) from the Strandzha massif in south-eastern Bulgaria. Bees make it from excretions of sap-sucking insects such as aphids on oaks and from secretions of living plant parts, and collect it in oak forests.

The requirements: fructose and glucose together at least 45 g per 100 g, sucrose at most 5 g, moisture at most 19 %, electrical conductivity above 0.95 mS/cm, diastase above 12 Schade units and HMF at most 10 mg/kg. The honey is collected in June, July and August at stationary apiaries in the municipalities of Sozopol, Primorsko, Tsarevo, Malko Tarnovo and Sredets. All stages, including packing in jars of up to 1,500 g, take place in the area; sale in bulk is prohibited.

The colour is brown to black with a greenish tint, the aroma of roasted fruit and caramel, the taste sweet with slight acidity and bitter notes. Crystallised honey may turn light brown or grey and may be liquefied at no more than 42 °C. Oak forests cover over 70 % of the region, and mist and a mild, humid climate near the Black Sea suit the insects that produce honeydew.

Why this matters to you: this is honeydew honey, so high conductivity and a darker, less floral taste set it apart from nectar honeys. More in Honeydew honey and Blossom and honeydew honey.