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Different Flavors of Honey

Nearly all flowers secrete nectar, though some kinds yield more than others. Very few consumers realize that the difference in flavor and colors of different honeys is due to the nectar being gathered from different kinds of flowers. For instance, honey gathered from white clover blossoms or from alfalfa blossoms is very light in color and mild in flavor. On the other hand, honey from buckwheat blossoms is very dark colored and strong in taste. Honey from goldenrod or Spanish needle is of a bright amber or golden color, much prized by some consumers.

As there are thousands of different kinds of flowers, so there are thousands of different flavors of nectar, all gathered by the bees. In each locality, however, the flovers of certain plants are more abundant than all other flowers combined and produce more nectar than all other flowers. From such plants the main crop of honey is gathered.

In the east and north and in Canada, white clover and buckwheat are the main sources of honey, white clover, sweet clover, heartsease and Spanish needles are the principal honey-producing flowers. In the southern states, sweet clover, horsemint, mesquite, cotton, tupelo, etc., produce large crops. In the west, alfalfa, sweet clover, white sage and other mountain flowers yield abundant crops.

Each of the flowers named produces honey of a different flavor. As a rule, light-colored honey is mild, while the dark-colored is strong in flavor.