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Different Types of Honey and Their Flavors

Honey tastes like the flowers the bees visited. The same hive can make a pale, delicate honey in spring and a dark, bold one in late summer. Here's a beekeeper's guide to the most common types, with a few Florida specialties.

Light and mild

Honey	Flavor	Good for
Orange blossom	Floral and citrusy, light amber. A Florida classic.	Tea, yogurt, baking
Clover	Mild, sweet, the "classic" honey taste	Everyday use
Acacia	Very light, vanilla notes, stays liquid a long time	Drizzling, cheese
Tupelo	Buttery and smooth, from the river swamps of the Florida Panhandle. Very slow to crystallize.	Biscuits, straight off the spoon

Medium

Honey	Flavor	Good for
Wildflower	Changes every harvest. Ours has blackberry, wild grape and oak.	Everything
Saw palmetto	Rich, slightly woody and herbal. Grows wild across Florida.	Marinades, coffee
Gallberry	Smooth and mellow, from the pine flatwoods of north Florida	Baking
Blueberry	Fruity, a little tangy	Pancakes, oatmeal

Dark and bold

Honey	Flavor	Good for
Buckwheat	Molasses-like and malty	BBQ sauce, gingerbread
Avocado	Buttery, dark, a bit like caramel	Baking, glazes
Manuka	Earthy and medicinal, from New Zealand	A spoonful when you're sick

Raw vs. regular honey

Raw honey is only strained, so it keeps its pollen, enzymes and flavor. Most supermarket honey is heated and fine-filtered so it stays clear. Raw honey crystallizes over time. That's natural. Warm the jar in a pan of warm water to make it runny again.

Other forms of honey

• Comb honey: honey still sealed in the wax cells, the way the bees made it. See how to eat honeycomb.
• Creamed (whipped) honey: crystallized under control so it's smooth and spreadable, like butter.
• Infused honey: honey steeped with peppers, herbs or fruit. Our favorite is jalapeño hot honey.

Try Florida honey

Our raw Florida wildflower honey comes from hives in Hernando County.

Questions we get a lot

What is the best type of honey?

It depends on taste. Light honeys like orange blossom and clover are mild. Dark honeys like buckwheat are bold. Raw local wildflower honey is a great place to start.

Why does raw honey crystallize?

Honey is full of natural sugars that slowly form crystals, faster in cool weather. It's still good. Warm the jar in warm water to melt it.

What honey is Florida known for?

Orange blossom, tupelo, saw palmetto and gallberry are Florida's best-known honeys, along with local wildflower.