Pure honey is an absolute riot of delightfully flavorful goodness that can be added to any cuisine and dietary regime to bring a dash of healthy sweetness. But sweetness isn’t all that honey has to offer in terms of taste or benefits. Depending on the region, plant species, and even the season it is harvested in, honey offers a delectable range of flavors to add to your diet. The honey may be obtained from a mono-floral or multi-floral harvest. In a multi-floral harvest, the honey is produced from the nectar collected from an eclectic range of flowers.
This may be true especially to honey from regions that practice multi-cropping patterns or otherwise have more perennial and varied flora. Mono-floral honey, on the other hand, is harvested from nectar collected from a predominant plant species. This may be from regions that have a higher concentration of these plants or where these plants are cultivated. They may also be collected during a specific season during which the plant species is the singular or predominant flora of the region.
In either case, mono-floral varieties of honey make for excellent choices for a range of cooking needs, from basting to dressings and cheese board accompaniments, depending on their flavor profiles and scents. Here are three mono-floral honey varieties you should absolutely try!
1) Neem Honey
Neem honey is derived from the flowers of one of the most exquisite prescriptions in traditional Indian and Chinese medicinal practices. You can find Neem honey online as well. It is dark-colored honey, making it richer in antioxidants than lighter ones. It has a strong flavor and aroma profile, starting with tones of maple syrup, tea, caramel and moving on to warmer tones of molasses and dark fruit, all wrapped with a distinct bitterness with earthy flavors to the end.
2) Moringa Honey
Mono-floral moringa honey is very rare to come by considering that it can be derived only from hives close to large-scale cultivation of the plant. However, the flowers of the moringa plant are known to have a very likable flavor that is savory and resembling the taste of mushrooms. Moringa honey derived from these flowers has a dark color and wonderful floral taste, although it is quite distinct from the floral notes of other monofloral varieties.
3) Fennel Honey
Another rich and rare monofloral variety - fennel honey - is cultivated from the flowers of the fennel plant. As a spice, fennel is often confused with anise and caraway. Fennel honey has a warm anise scent and is very sweet. It is especially prized for its caramel notes and slow crystallization.
So, which of these are you adding to your diet today?