Forest Honey or Honeydew Honey is an interesting variety of honey that stands apart from the more commonly-sold blossom or mild flavored honeys that we are used to. Honeydew is created not from floral nectar but instead by bees foraging on sweet liquid excreted by plant sucking insects such as aphids. Bees then gather this liquid, which they harvest as honeydew honey which tends to be darker in hue with woody or malt notes, giving it its unique flavor profile.
Honeydew produced from conifers (fir, spruce and pine) and deciduous trees such as oaks is known to have strong effects on its characteristics – this particular honey is dark amber to nearly black with strong malty notes, medium sweetness, low acidity levels and good persistence properties.
Honeydew from Turkey comes mainly from fir forests in the Alpine area of Europe, from Turkish Pine (Pinus brutia) and Stone Pines (Pinus nigra). Its characteristics include strong malty flavors with woody undertones. Furthermore, this thick nectar boasts high mineral content as well as thick body that does not crystallize easily.
Honeydew honey is an especially sweet variety with an aromatic profile replete with malt and caramel notes, low intensity sweetness, medium sweetness and good persistence. This honey is extremely smooth with thick texture; its bittersweet with mineral touches flavor is particularly enjoyable; perfect for sweetening sauces, drizzled over fruit & ricotta pairings or eaten on its own as a plate accompaniment!