What colours can honey have and what determines its colouring? The colour variety of honey ranges from almost-white Rapeseed Honey, through transparent Acacia Honey, yellow Mountain Blossom Honey, reddish Orange-Blossom Honey and red-brown Heather Honey, and on to black Fir Honey. The colour is determined exclusively by the nectar (in the case of blossom honeys) or the honeydew (in the case of Fir Honey).

Why does honey crystallise and how can crystallised honey be liquefied again? The consistency of honey varies, and every type of natural honey crystallises over time. The crystallisation process, also known as candying, depends on the ratio of fructose to glucose in the nectar, which in turn is determined by the type of flower. A high proportion of glucose, as in Rapeseed Honey, leads to faster crystallisation. In contrast, honeys with a higher fructose content, such as Acacia Honey, remain liquid for longer and only crystallise after a number of years.

Note: Crystallised honey can be liquefied again by carefully warming it in a water bath (below 35 °C). None of its valuable ingredients will be lost during this process.

How does the origin influence the flavour and quality of honey? The climate, flora, aroma and traditions of a region endow the honey produced there with specific characteristics. Honeys named after a region must originate exclusively from that region, which is confirmed by pollen analyses.

What are monofloral honeys and how are they produced? Single-variety monofloral honeys are rare specialities. Beekeepers specifically place their hives in areas with an abundant supply of certain flowers in order to obtain these special honeys. The distinctive characteristic exhibited by bees of flying to the same flowers until the nectar is exhausted means that they collect nectar or honeydew almost exclusively from a single plant species, thereby contributing towards the varietal purity of the honey and the creation of an absolute speciality. The quality and purity of monofloral honeys is verified through sensory tests, chemical-physical examinations and pollen analyses.

What is the difference between Blossom Honey and Forest or Fir Honey in terms of their creation and flavour? Blossom Honey results from nectar that bees suck from various flowers. Forest or Fir Honey, in contrast, also known as honeydew honey, is based on the sugary sap from the sieve tubes of the plants. Plant-sucking insects process this sap into honeydew, which the bees then ingest. Honeydew honeys are therefore darker and stronger in flavour.

How is honey extracted and what makes comb honey special? Most honeys are so-called extracted honeys. In this process, the beekeeper removes the wax layer from the honeycomb cells that have been sealed by the bees. The honeycombs are then placed in a centrifuge in which the honey is carefully extracted using centrifugal force – without the application of heat. A special delicacy is Honeycomb Honey. This honey is left in the honeycomb cells, which have been built and sealed by the bees themselves. Honeycomb Honey is commercially available either as a pure piece of honeycomb, e.g. packed in a plastic box, or embedded in liquid honey. BIHOPHAR offers such a speciality in the form of Acacia Honey containing a piece of honeycomb.