What is pine honeydew honey and how is it made?

Origin: Mount Pangaion, northern Greece
Forage: pine and wild heather
Form: raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized, never heated
Net: 9.5 oz glass jar

Most honey is made from flower nectar. Pine honey is made from honeydew — the secretion produced by the insect Marchalina hellenica as it feeds on the sap of Greek pine trees. The bees collect this honeydew and process it into honey. The result is darker, less sweet, more mineral, and lower in fructose than flower honey. It is a centuries-old practice in Greek beekeeping, and Greece produces more pine honey than any other country.

Why does pine honey crystallize more slowly?

Pine honeydew honey has a lower fructose-to-glucose ratio than most flower honeys. Since crystallization is primarily driven by glucose content, lower glucose means slower crystallization. Pine honey can remain liquid or only lightly crystallized for 1–2 years, whereas thyme honey or wildflower honey might crystallize within months. This is a natural property, not a processing effect.