VARIETIES OF GREEK HONEY

Greek honey is considered to be one of the best honeys in the world and that’s not even an exaggeration! Greece, being a country with one of the best climates for beekeeping, allows for hundreds types of local plant life to be available to bees for making honey. Specifically, over 850 species of Greek flora found nowhere else in the world along with many other common species contribute to this fine art of Greek apiculture. Greek soils have not yet been fully contaminated by phytochemicals or been genetically modified, allowing for the purest form of honey varieties to be produced. Greek flora combined with a nomadic beekeeping lifestyle, help produce honey with characteristic flavors, attractive colors and high density textures. But it all depends on the honey's source. 

Honey, as we all know, comes from honey bees. It is mainly classified into two main categories, floral honey and honeydew honey. There are hundreds of known varieties of honey in the world, and even thousand possible other ones. Basically as many flowering plants that honey bees can collect nectar or honeydew from! But let’s look at some of the most famous varieties of Greek honey.

Popular Varieties of Floral Greek Honey

Floral Greek honey is produced from the collection of flower nectar collected by bees and can be monofloral (from one type of flower only), polyfloral (aka wildflower honey, from many flowers) or blended(a mix from 2 or more honey varieties).

Greek Thyme Honey

One of the most precious varieties due to its flavor and its antiseptic properties, thyme honey is is around 10% of total Greek honey production. Greek thyme honey has a spicy taste and intense aroma. Its color is usually light gold but it may be slightly darker depending on the region. It contains chemical elements such boron and various minerals such as copper and iron. 

Greek Citrus Honey

This floral honey variety is collected by the flowering orange, lemon and mandarin trees. The bees collect nectar from all of them at once because they are usually planted together. Citrus honey covers about 25% of Greek honey production. It’s an especially sweet flavor with intense floral aromas and very light yellow color. Due to its low content in polyphenols, citrus honey has weaker antioxidant properties than those of other honey varieties. 

Greek Heather Honey

This floral variety of honey is produced from the nectar of pink heather blossoms. Its color can vary from reddish brown to light cream, texture is thick and its aroma is light. As a floral type of Greek honey, it tends to crystallize very quickly, within 1-3 months, therefore should not be blended with other varieties. 

Most Known Varieties of Honeydew Greek Honey

Honeydew Honey is produced from the various insects excretions collected by bees. The aphids that feed on various forest trees’ saps, excrete a substance called honeydew which is then collected by bees and stored in their beehive.

Greek Pine Honey

This is a variety of honeydew Greek honey because it’s made by bees collecting the excretions of Marchalina hellenica, an insect that lives in pine trees. About 60% of Greek honey production comes from pine honey. It is not as sweet, compared to other honey types but it has an intense aroma. It contains minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and copper. Greek pine honey as well as other forest honey varieties are known for their extremely antioxidant properties.

Greek Fir Honey

Greek fir honey is produced in the forested hills of Greece from the insects feeding on the sap of fir trees. It’s approximately only 5% of Greek honey production. It is well known for its unique darker, reddish color, fresh forest aromas, and delicious flavor. It’s rich in various trace minerals, never crystallizes, and low glucose. 

Greek Chestnut Honey

Chestnut honey is usually a mix of forest honeydew, which bees collect from the excretions of the aphid called Myzocallis castanicola, and from the nectar of chestnut flower blossoms. It has an intense aroma and a bitter taste. Greek chestnut honey is rich in amino acids and trace elements. It tends to crystallize slower, same as other types of forest honey varieties.

Greek Oak Honey

This type of Greek honey is less common than other varieties. It is known for its special color, which is almost black! It is produced by the excretions of aphids that live in the oak tree. Oak honey has been used in medicine by the ancient Greeks and it has the most antioxidant properties than most other known varieties. It has slightly caramelized but less sweet flavor and can be slightly spicy. 

Crystallization of Greek Honey

Honey crystallization is a natural process and should not be viewed as a sign of adulteration or spoilage. All its quality and flavor characteristics are preserved even after crystallization. The higher the glucose present in honey, the higher are the chances of crystallization happening, and that’s because high glucose levels become insoluble in water. In fact, raw unprocessed honey has higher chances of becoming crystallized because it may also contain tiny plant components, pollen or beeswax which all contribute to further crystallization of honey. So, don’t be intimidated by crystallized honey, as it's a factor that indicates that the honey you’ve got is pure and natural!

Now that you know all the different types of Greek honey, make sure you buy raw and unfiltered, pure honey. Reference this article and eat only the best honey!

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