Monofloral honey 1818334 225290688 2008-07-12T22:31:39Z Delirium 6827 the information about specific monofloral honeys (manuka and tupelo) is already in the section "Some types of monofloral honey", and doesn't really belong in the intro '''Monofloral honey''' is a type of [[honey]] which has a high value in the [[market]]place because it has a distinctive flavor or other attribute due to its being predominantly from the [[nectar]] of one [[plant]] [[species]]. <ref> [http://www.bee-info.com/honigsorten.php Monofloral honey types (in German)]</ref> While there may never be an absolute monofloral type, some honeys are relatively pure due to the prodigious nectar production of a particular species, such as [[citrus]] (Orange blossom honey), or there may be little else in bloom at the time. [[Beekeeper]]s learn the predominant nectar sources of their region, and often plan [[harvest]]s to keep especially fine ones separate. For example, in the southern [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachians]] [[sourwood]] honey, from a small tree that blooms late is highly regarded. Beekeepers try to remove the previously produced dark and strong flavored [[tulip tree|tulip poplar]] honey, just before the sourwood bloom, so the lighter sourwood is not contaminated. During sourwood bloom, there is little else for the [[honeybee|bees]] to [[Foraging|forage]]. Monofloral honeys are also kept in separate tanks and labeled separately so as to command a premium price. == Some types of monofloral honey<ref>[http://www.apidologie.org/index.php?option=article&access=standard&Itemid=129&url=/articles/apido/pdf/2004/06/MHS06.pdf Main European unifloral honeys: descriptive sheets] Apidologie 35 (2004) S38–S81 </ref> == {| class="wikitable sortable" !Common name !Origin !Characteristics & Availability !Colour |- |[[Acacia]] |Eastern North America and Europe. The main producers are Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania but it is also found in Canada, China, France and Italy. |Acacia honey is actually from a false acacia, ''Robinia pseudoacacia'', commonly known as [[black locust]], a tree native to eastern North America and widely planted in Europe. The honey in the US is sometimes labeled "American Acacia". It has a lower acid content than other honeys. Its high fructose content means that it can stay liquid for a long time. |Its colour ranges from light yellow to almost colourless. |- |[[Alfalfa]] | |does not commonly come on the market as a monofloral. |white |- |[[Apple]] blossom honey |[[United Kingdom]] | | |- |[[Avocado]] | | |dark. |- |[[Basswood]][[Tilia|Lime]] (linden) blossom (''Tilia americana'') |[[China]], [[Hungary]], [[Poland]] and the United Kingdom. | |water-white or pale honey, although its colouring depends on the time of collection. |- |[[Buckwheat]] Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum'') honey |China, Russia, US |Buckwheat was an important crop in the US from about 1930 to the 1960s, which has since faded from use, and buckwheat honey has become scarce in the US. A wild buckwheat ''Polygonum cuspidatum'' from a close kin that has become established in the US is naturally more mild than the familiar buckwheat, and sometimes is used to blend with buckwheat, or sold separately as a monofloral called "bamboo." A recent study has shown buckwheat honey to be more effective than over-the-counter cough syrup at treating childhood cough.<ref>[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203164750.htm Honey A Better Option For Childhood Cough Than Over The Counter Medications<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |very dark |- |[[Cherry]] blossom |United Kingdom | | |- |[[Chestnut]] | |Has the highest mineral content of all honeys. |Yellowish-brown in colour |- |[[Clover]] |Canada, United States, and New Zealand. |Genuine monofloral clover is rare, as most light, mild-flavored honeys are mixed and called clover for the retail trade. |Pure monofloral clover is water white in colour. |- |[[Eucalyptus]] |Common in [[Australia]] |monofloral [[Eucalypt]] honeys include [[Yellow Box]], [[Blue Gum]], [[River Red Gum]], [[Ironbark]] and [[Stringybark]]. [[Tasmania]]n [[Eucryphia lucida|Leatherwood]] honey is considered a delicacy. | |- |[[Fireweed]] |Fireweed honey is produced in great quantities in some areas of western Canada and northwestern US and is considered a premium monofloral. | |Amber |- |[[Fir]] honey |Greece |blander tasting than most, but is considered beneficial for [[stomach]] ailments. |It is light-coloured with white cloudiness |- |[[Goldenrod]] Plants of the genus ''Solidago'' sometimes produce large quantities of nectar. | |With acid soil, adequate moisture and good foraging weather during the autumn bloom, bees can make large quantities of honey from it. Much of it is sold for bakery use, but in some areas it has become a favored monofloral honey. Has a rank odor. |golden |- |[[Crataegus|Hawthorn]] |United Kingdom | | |- |[[Heather]] |Mainly in the United Kingdom | | |- |[[Kamahi]] is a common tree |New Zealand's rugged native forests |The creamy coloured flowers are very attractive to [[bee]]s and bloom in abundance throughout the Spring. |light amber honey. |- |[[Kiawe]] | | | |- |[[Lavender]] |Produced mainly in France and Spain | | |- |The Tasmanian [[Eucryphia lucida|Leatherwood]] (''[[Eucryphia lucida]]'') |Tasmania | | |- |[[Lehua]] Probably the rarest Hawaiian Honey |Hawaii |Lehua Honey is made from the Lehua blossoms of the Ohi'a tree. It is liquid when harvested from the hives but it turns into a creamed sturdy Honey after a couple of weeks. | |- |[[Macadamia]] | | |dark honey |- |[[Leptospermum scoparium|Manuka]] |New Zealand |Manuka honey is from bees who feed on the flowers of the [[Leptospermum scoparium|Manuka]] bush, also known as the "Tea Tree" to produce a honey that has anti-bacterial properties. [[Tea tree oil]] is commonly from the related [[Melaleuca]] tree native to Australia and is used as a topical antibiotic and antifungal for wounds that fail to close.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Int J Clin Practyear=2007|volume=61|issue=10|pages=1705&ndash;7|pmid=17877657|title=Honey: nutritional and medicinal value|author=Khan FR, Ul Abadin Z, Rauf N|doi=10.1111/j.1742-1241.2007.01417.x|year=2007}}</ref> | |- |[[Mesquite]] |Southwestern U.S. |The mesquite tree is prized for its sweet-smoky smelling wood, primarily used in barbecues and meat smokers. The honey produced from its flowers also has this distinctive smoky aroma. |Dark brown and viscous. Remains semicrystalline even in hot weather. |- |[[Musk thistle|Nodding Thistle Honey]] |Found extensively throughout [[New Zealand]]'s [[Canterbury]] and [[Otago Provinces]] in the South Island and [[Hawkes Bay]] in the North Island. |[[Nodding Thistle]] flowers in late summer. It has a brilliant large mauve head, characteristic of thistles. |light coloured honey |- |[[Orange (fruit)|Orange]] blossom honey |France, Mexico and Spain; United States (Arizona, California, Texas, and Florida) |Is actually made from mixed citrus nectars. It is a thick, very sweet honey. |light amber to water white, the lighter colour and milder flavor coming in years when there is a large flow and the honey is little contaminated by other nectars. |- |[[Pine]] |Greece, Turkey |It is a honey dew honey. Has a faint resinous taste. | |- |[[Tulip tree|Poplar]] ''[[Liriodendron tulipifera]]'' |Southern Appalachian, US |Tulip tree is actually not a poplar, but honey called "poplar" is a favorite regional monofloral honey. |In mason jars it looks black, but when held to the light it looks reddish. |- |[[Raspberry|Raspberry Honey]] |US |Available in some areas where raspberries are grown commercially. | |- |[[Metrosideros umbellata|Rata Honey]] [[Metrosideros umbellata|Southern rātā]] |New Zealand |One of several species of ''[[Metrosideros]]'' but is the one that most regularly produces a honey crop. This honey is sometimes in very short supply. |The purest rata honey is very white in colour. |- |[[Rewarewa Honey]] | | | |- |[[Rosemary]] |France and Spain | | |- |[[Salvia|Sage]] | | | |- |[[Sourwood]] |US | | |- |[[Sunflower]] |France and Spain |Because sunflower honey crystallizes quickly, becoming soft and easy to spread, it is often consumed in its crystallized state. |Pale yellow |- |[[Tawari Honey]] |New Zealand. Its origins are the lowland forests of New Zealand's far north. |The 'beaujolais' of honeys. | |- |[[Wild thyme|Thyme Honey]] |New Zealand, Greece. |Thyme honey is the most popular honey produced in Greece. Thyme continues to flourish today in New Zealand's [[Central Otago]]. | |- |[[Tupelo]] Tupelo |Southeastern US |Made from trees of the genus ''Nyssa'' which are native to wetlands of southeastern USA. In many areas the forests have been cut over, greatly reducing the supply of the honey. It is favored for some uses because it is very slow to granulate. Northern Florida is a major producer. Honey that is certified by laboratory analysis as purely tupelo brings a premium price. | |- |[[Viper's Bugloss|Viper's Bugloss Honey]] |New Zealand |This wild flower covers the hills of the New Zealand [[Central South Island]] during summer months. The seed was once used as a treatment for snakebite, which gives the plant its name. | |} == References == <small>{{reflist}}</small> == See also == * [[Northern Nectar Sources for Honeybees]] * [[Nectar source]] * [[List of honey plants]] ==External links== *[http://www.honeylocator.com/ The honey locator] from the National Honey Board. Describes honey varietals and lists various purveyors of each. *[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3787867.stm Harnessing honey's healing power] [[BBC News]] 2004-06-08 [[Category:Honey]] [[pl:Tupelo (miód)]]