About 65% of the total honey production in Greece is pine honey. Honey is derived from the honey secretions of the insect Marchalina hellenica known as ” aphid”, “worker”, “germ” or “pest” of the pine tree. The main areas of pine honey production are in northern Evia. It is produced in areas and seasons that are not sprayed with pesticides, away from the polluted urban environment, thus enabling bees to be farmed organically.
Taste: It has a particular taste that one can easily distinguish and it is thick. Due to its low sugar content, it is not very sweet.
Aroma: Special.
Color: The color of pine honey is characteristic and darker than that of thyme honey. In fact, pine honey that is produced in spring is lighter and clearer than pine honey produced in fall.
Crystallization: Due to the low natural content of glucose in pine honey, its crystallization takes place at a fairly slow rate. Pure pine honeys remain liquid for more than a year and a half while their mixtures with heather, cotton, sunflower or polycombos honey crystallize in 2-5 months.
Nutritional value: Pine honey is considered a honey of high nutritional value, which is indicated by its high ash content. This is mainly due to the large number of different substances that are present in its composition. These substances are predominantly minerals and trace elements (calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, etc.), which are found in large concentrations in Greek pine honey. Due to its low sugar content it is suitable for diabetics and has fewer calories compared to flower honey.
