Honey is a raw product of amazing diversity. In principle, there should be as many types of monofloral honey, as the number of melliferous species in the world. In practice, however, it is impossible to control bees, so that they should only forage nectar and pollen from certain flowers. So, inevitably, every monofloral honey will contain pollen / nectar from other flowers.
The term ‘monofloral’ is therefore a relative one: it refers to a minimum concentration of pollen / nectar foraged from a particular species of flowers (the percentage varies from one type of monofloral honey to another; and according to the regulations of different countries). The higher the percentage of nectar / pollen from a particular species of plants (ranging up to 80-90%), the more pronounced the specific taste and aroma.
Honey can be classified according to several criteria, but most often it is according to the following two:
❧ the source of the nectar (it can be floral or honeydew honey);
❧ the geoclimatic area.
Depending on appearance / texture, honey can be liquid or crystallized.
Consumers sometimes have the wrong impression that crystallized honey is spoiled, which is false. Honey crystallization is a natural phenomenon and, on the contrary, it can be a guarantee that honey is raw, not counterfeit. The rate at which a honey crystallizes depends on the fructose / glucose ratio in the given honey: the higher the percentage of glucose, the faster the honey crystallizes.
Together with the olive oil, honey is one of the most adulterated foods in the world. It is often adulterated by:
❧ adding sugar syrup to honey (in which case the honey stops crystallizing);
❧ mixing a cheaper type of honey with a more expensive one, and marketing the mixture as the more expensive type.
An important detail is that honey practically never spoils. If honey is correctly extracted from the combs, correctly packaged and stored, it has unlimited shelf life (no expiration date). EU legislation requires a shelf life to be put on the label, but in reality, honey can be stored for as long as you like. The only factor that can affect the quality of honey is humidity, which is why it should be stored in well-sealed jars, preferably in the dark. EU requires that marketed honey should have a maximum moisture content of 18%. If honey has a moisture content of more than 20%, it can ferment and, through fermentation, the honey turns into another product – mead, or ‘honey wine’, as it is known in several countries.