Leaf Honeydew
Lexikon
Leaf honeydew (Blatthonig) is a special form of honeydew honey that comes from aphids and similar insects living on deciduous trees such as oak or maple, in contrast to classic forest honey, which is obtained mainly from conifers such as spruce or fir.
Leaf honeydew (Blatthonig) is a special form of honeydew honey that comes from aphids and similar insects living on deciduous trees such as oak or maple, in contrast to classic forest honey, which is obtained mainly from conifers such as spruce or fir. Both honeys therefore originate from honeydew, but differ in their botanical origin, because the respective aphid populations are tied to quite specific tree species.
In taste, leaf honeydew is considered robust and at times caramel-like, which places it in a similar direction to other honeydew honeys, though with its own varietal nuances depending on the tree species. In everyday usage, leaf honeydew and forest honey are today often no longer cleanly distinguished, and both terms are used generally for honeydew honey, while experts still recognize the distinction between deciduous and coniferous trees.
Legally, the German Honey Regulation does not recognize a separate designation for leaf honeydew; it falls under the general category of honeydew honey, or is preferably referred to uniformly by the EU Commission as forest honey. For beekeepers, the distinction is nonetheless practically relevant, because leaf honeydew often shows different crystallization behavior and a different mineral content than pure coniferous forest honey, depending on which trees the honeydew comes from.