Glossary
A distinctive honey made not from flower nectar but from honeydew, the sweet secretion left by plant-sucking insects like aphids and scale insects on tree leaves. Honeydew honey is dark, malty, and rich in minerals, particularly popular in Germany and Greece.
Most honey starts as flower nectar. Honeydew honey breaks that pattern entirely. Its origin begins with sap-sucking insects, primarily aphids, scale insects, and psyllids, that feed on tree sap from conifers (pine, fir, spruce) and broadleaf trees (oak, beech, linden). These insects consume sap for its amino acids but excrete the excess sugars as a sticky, sweet liquid called honeydew that coats leaves and branches.
Bees collect this honeydew just as they would nectar, carrying it back to the hive, processing it with enzymes, and evaporating it into honey. The resulting product is noticeably different from floral honey: darker in color, richer in minerals, higher in certain sugars (melezitose, erlose), and with a distinct malty, woody, sometimes slightly resinous flavor profile.
In much of Europe, honeydew honey commands premium prices. German "Waldhonig" (forest honey), Greek pine honey from the island of Thasos, and Turkish "Dut Bali" are prized regional specialties. Honeydew honey accounts for a significant share of total honey production in forested mountainous regions where conifers outnumber flowering plants as bee forage.
Honeydew honey contains higher concentrations of minerals (potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron) and oligosaccharides compared to floral honey. Some research suggests the oligosaccharides in honeydew honey may have prebiotic properties, supporting beneficial gut bacteria. The antioxidant content is also typically higher than light floral honeys, consistent with its dark color.
Yes. Honeydew honey has a distinctly malty, woody, and sometimes slightly resinous flavor that is very different from the floral sweetness of nectar-based honey. It is less sweet, more complex, and pairs well with strong cheeses, dark bread, and hearty dishes.
Honeydew honey is relatively uncommon in the U.S. market. Most American honey production is nectar-based. You can find imported honeydew honey in specialty food stores, particularly those carrying European products.
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