Orange blossom honey

Miel de fleur d’oranger

What it is

The perfume in the jar is neroli, the same aromatic the blossom gives to perfumery, and one of the few that survives into honey intact. Bees and citrus are not always allies: growers of seedless mandarins have gone to law to keep hives at a distance, since pollination puts pips back in the fruit.

In the kitchen

Treat it as an aromatic rather than a sweetener: fold it into a pastry cream or a soaking syrup off the heat, at the very end. Boiled, it loses the blossom and becomes ordinary sweetness.

Goes with

Almond Orange blossom water Pistachio Ricotta Yogurt Fig Mint

Same species

Bergamot Candied citron Chenpi Citron Menton lemon Makrut lime

In season alongside

Acacia honey Meyer lemon Damask rose petals Darjeeling tea Hana-sanshō (sanshō flower buds) Mangosteen

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