If you are experimenting with honey in a recipe, try replacing half the sugar with honey as the flavour can be very strong. Look on our recipe pages for some delicious recipes using honey. Honey is produced all over the world, from the heat of the tropics to the crisp cold of Scandinavia, Canada and Siberia. The distinct aroma, flavour and colour is determined by the type of flower from which the bee collects the nectar. Some honey closely mimics the characteristics of the herb or tree whose flower the bee has visited, such as Orange Blossom and Lime Blossom, or Rosemary and Thyme.
Most honey comes from bees foraging on many different floral sources, and are known as polyfloral.
However some plants provide enough nectar during their short flowering season, and are so irresistible to the local bee population, that a hive can yield honey from one single type of flower. This honey, known as monofloral, is keenly sought by beekeepers. Here in Britain, honey is produced primarily for the local market. The beekeeper also plays an important role in the pollination of fruit crops, and he travels for miles with his bees in a season to help pollinate plants and trees that produce the fruit we see in our supermarkets. Unfortunately production in Britain is limited due to the unpredictable climate in this country.