Glossary
A light-colored, mildly sweet honey produced by bees foraging on almond tree blossoms (Prunus dulcis) during the massive annual almond bloom in California. Almond honey has a distinctive nutty, slightly cherry-like flavor and an off-white to pale amber color.
California's Central Valley produces approximately 80 percent of the world's almonds, and every February, roughly two million honey bee colonies (about 75 percent of all managed colonies in the United States) are trucked to California for almond pollination. This is the largest managed pollination event in the world.
As a byproduct of this pollination service, the bees produce almond honey from the nectar of the blossoms they visit. While the primary economic purpose is pollination (beekeepers earn pollination fees), the honey produced is a valued secondary product with a unique flavor profile.
Almond honey has a subtle, nutty sweetness that is distinct from most other honey varieties. Some describe notes of marzipan or cherry, with a mild, clean finish. The color ranges from nearly white to pale amber, and the texture is typically smooth and slow to crystallize.
Because almond trees bloom early in the season (February to March), almond honey is one of the first surplus harvests of the year for many beekeepers. It tends to be relatively pure as a monofloral honey, since few other plants are blooming heavily during the almond season.
Not exactly. Almond honey has nutty undertones and some people detect a slight marzipan or cherry-like note, but it does not taste like eating almonds. The flavor is subtle and mild compared to stronger varietals like buckwheat or saw palmetto honey.
The proteins that cause nut allergies are not typically present in significant amounts in honey. However, almond honey may contain trace amounts of almond pollen. People with severe nut allergies should consult an allergist before consuming almond honey.
Almonds are entirely dependent on insect pollination; they cannot self-pollinate. Without the annual migration of millions of honey bee colonies to California, there would be no almond crop. This makes almond pollination the single most critical commercial pollination event in American agriculture.
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