TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Portuguese Honey Types
This Portuguese variety of honey has great nutritional value, and it is made by the Apis mellifera bee species from the Iberian Peninsula. These bees are kept in the municipality of Lousã, near the city of Coimbra, and they feed on the nectar of local flowers and chestnut trees.
The honey is thick, syrupy, and dark amber in color, while its flavor is intense with notes of wood and heather. It can crystallize at low temperatures, at which point the intensity of its color. It can be eaten as raw, used as a sweetener and a sugar substitute, or can be incorporated into various traditional cakes and desserts.
This wildflower honey is gathered by the Apis mellifera bee species native to the Iberian Peninsula and the district of Faro in Portugal. The honey is made from several local floral varieties, such as lavender, heather, eucalyptus, citrus, and plum.
It is characterized by its typical bittersweet aftertaste. The honey is gathered from May to July and is dark yellow in color. The flavor is delicately sweet, and it can be eaten as is or used in the preparatin of cakes, cookies, and traditional spirits.
Harvested from apiaries in the districts of Évora, Beja, and Portalegre, Alentejo honey is made using nectar collected from lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, and orange blossoms. The complex flavor of this luxurious honey are the result of the amazingly diverse plant life of Alentejo, a region located in southeastern Portugal just above the Tagus River.
Depending on the predominant pollen, the color of Alentejo honey ranges from yellow to amber, while its flavor ranges from the mild and delicate rosemary, lavender, and orange blossom honey to rich and strong eucalyptus honey. Mel do Alentejo producers have received numerous awards at international competitions, and their honey is widely used both in Portugal and abroad.
This honey is made according to the tradition of beekeeping in the Azores, which dates back to the sixteenth century. The most important aspects of beekeeping in the region are linked to its ecological function, as honey bees pollinate most of the crops on the islands, and its economic value, as its high quality makes it an important source of income for the islanders.
Azores wildflower honey is made from the nectar of various types of flower, including traditional species such as plum, chestnut, citrus, eucalyptus, and rosemary, as well as subtropical species such as banana, passion fruit, pineapple, avocado, and guava.
One of the most famous varieties, known as incense honey, is derived from the nectar of the sweet pittosporum tree, a tree native to Australia that now grows all over the Azores. The floral variety has a dark-brown color, a pleasant taste, and a smooth consistency, while the incense honey is a pale yellow.
This honey is made by Apis mellifera bees from Iberian wildflower nectar collected from the Mediterranean plant life of the Ribatejo region in central Portugal. It comes in four types, depending on the different percentages of pollen they contain: Serra d'Aire (rosemary, lavender, and mint), Albufeira de Castelo de Bode (heather, myrtle, and chestnut), Bairro (thistle), and Alto Nabão (eucalyptus pollen).
The honey is characterized by its intense aroma, floral flavor, and light yellow color. Apart from being consumed in its natural state, this product is used heavily in the production of local bread and pastries. One famous example of this is Broas, a sweet bread made with flour, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Harvested from apiaries within Montezinho Natural Park in the northeastern part of the Trás-os-Montes region, this top-quality honey is made using nectar collected mainly from heather, chestnut, and rosemary flowers. Mel do Parque de Montezinho is produced by the native Iberian black bee, and the introduction of foreign species to the region is strictly prohibited, as is the use of any kind of pesticide or repellent.
A rich amber in color, Montezinho honey is quite viscous and has a powerful scent. It is traditionally enjoyed spread across a slice of fresh bread, but it also serves as an ingredient in the local cuisine for desserts such as nógados (nougats with honey and brandy), honey flavored spirits, and even chouriços doces (sweet blood sausages).
Harvested from apiaries in the northwestern Portuguese district of Vila Real, Barroso heather honey is produced by the Spanish bee, a Western honey bee subspecies native to the Iberian Peninsula that forages for nectar in the extraordinarily abundant Barroso highlands. Mel de Barroso is thick and dark amber in color, and it has a pronounced floral aroma and a rich, toffee flavor.
The sharp aftertaste of this honey gets stronger the longer it is stored. Prized since ancient times for its medicinal properties, Barroso honey is also an essential ingredient in regional cuisine.
This high-quality honey is produced in the mountainous areas of Viana do Castelo, Porto, and Aveiro in northwestern Portugal, where heavy rainfall and the absence of urban centres and local industry, and thus the lack of airborne pollutants, make for the best honey possible.
This wildflower honey has a liquidy texture, a dark brown color, and a strong scent of heather. This honey can be consumed as is, spread on a slice of bread, or used to make desserts and traditional pastries. In the past, this honey was used instead of money to execute business transactions and pay the taxes – further proof of just how good it is.
This honey is the result of centuries of tradition, and is considered to be one of the best in Portugal. It is produced by bees native to the Iberian Peninsula that inhabit the area of Terra Quente in the north-east of Portugal. It consists of floral varieties such as heather, eucalyptus, lavender, and especially rosemary.
It is light amber in color and has a unique, rosemary-tinged flavor. Usually eaten as is, it also serves as an ingredient in the preparation of traditional Portuguese pastries.
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