Rhododendron Honey

DISTRIBUTION: Eastern, Central and Western Europe: Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria

SPECIES: Alpenrose – Rhododendron ferrugineum / Hairy alpenrose – Rhododendron hirsutum

INTENSITY ✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧

COLOUR: Yellow-white; sometimes yellow

TEXTURE: Crystallizes relatively quickly

SMELL / AROMA: Mild smell, floral taste

Two species of rhododendron (Rhododendron ferrugineum and Rhododendron hirsutum), which flower in June-July. Unlike the legendary species from the Turkish Black Sea Coast (Rhododendron ponticum), the western European ones are not hallucinogenic.

Because rhododendron grows at altitudes of over 1,400 m, honey from its nectar is not easy to produce. Access is often difficult, the terrain rugged and the weather unfavourable (rain, wind and temperatures below 14°C).

It is light in colour, crystallizes finely and takes on a creamy, smooth texture. Depending on the surrounding flora, the colour can range from yellowish-white to yellow. The smell is not very intense, but the taste is strongly floral, very pleasant, with a slightly minty aftertaste.