Czech heather honey

A dark, reddish honey from late-summer heather. It is jelly-like and gradually forms large round crystals, with an intense, woody, fruity aroma.

Origin

Czechia, heaths and open pine woods (e.g. the Třeboň basin)

Colour

77 mm · light amber

Taste

intense, mildly sweet, moderately tart, fresh and fruity, long finish

Crystallization

jelly-like honey

Season

August – September

Plant

Calluna vulgaris · heather →

Colour varies by year and place; the value given is typical of the variety, not a measurement of one jar. Where a source describes the colour only in words (such as ‘light amber’), we convert it to the middle of the matching band of the Pfund scale, so the figure is approximate. The season follows the sources or, failing that, the flowering time of the plant in that area.

Heather honey is thixotropic: it sets like a jelly when left still and turns runny again when stirred.