Ironwort Honey

In Greece, ironwort (called “mountain tea”) is used to make a tisane, being a national drink. In any market on the mainland or the islands you can find ironwort sprigs for sale. The plant prefers semi-arid soils and rocky slopes, so Crete and the Cyclades Islands are ideal habitats.

In Crete (Greece) and Abruzzo (Italy), ironwort grows as a wildflower in areas large enough to produce monofloral honey. It has a colour similar to that of thyme honey (reddish-brown) but a blander flavour, and is produced in much smaller quantities, falling into the category of rare honeys.