It is not easy to find lavender honey because large stretches of lavender are needed to obtain this particular honey.
While the traditional lavender honey ( Lavandula angustifoglia and broadleaf ) is mainly produced in Spain and France where there are very large lavender fields in bloom from June to September, in Italy there is the production of wild lavender honey ( Lavandula stoechas ) produced only in Sardinia during flowering from March to May; true lavender is present in the areas of the Maritime Alps, on the border between France, Piedmont and Liguria, from which the lavender honey of the Maritime Alps is produced.
In reality the varieties of lavender for the production of unifloral honey are essentially 5 and, whether they are spontaneous or hybrid like the sink, they are all marketed as "lavender honey" even though they vary in color, composition and organoleptic characteristics.
Characteristics of lavender honey
The color of this honey varies: initially it appears in liquid form from yellow to beige and subsequently it has a fairly rapid crystallization due to its composition of sugars which leads to the formation of medium and small crystals, and the color becomes from clear to amber .
The color, however, always depends on the particular bee's flowering, varying the composition of sugary substances and microparticles that modify the final result of lavender honey.
The fragrance is fragrant, typical of aromatic plants rich in essential oils. Its flavor is reminiscent of the fruits of fig and passionflower as well as the typical taste of lavender itself.
Wild lavender honey, on the other hand, has a less intense taste but remains finer and very palatable. The lavender honey that derives from the flowering of sink flowers is the one with a lighter, less intense fragrance and taste, so faint that the peculiarity of lavender honey is little perceived.
The properties of lavender honey
Lavender honey takes its properties from the same lavender plant and is therefore excellent as a calming of the nervous system : it calms tension both physically and psychically and emotionally because it is capable of relaxing and relaxing.
Also used to calm the headache caused by tension and stress that is accumulated during the day, it is excellent in case of dizziness, anxiety and insomnia, to soothe inflammation of the respiratory system, to calm the cough and helping the vocal cords.
It is also recommended as an analgesic, antirheumatic and for the gastrointestinal tract it is an antispasmodic with a digestive action .
Lavender honey also has antiseptic and bactericidal properties given by the presence of essential oils and is therefore used as a healing and disinfectant .
In eco cosmetics it is an ingredient for creams and masks with a revitalizing action on the skin.
Find out how to make natural facial cleansers with honey and lavender
Composition of lavender honey
Lavender honey contains numerous mineral salts including manganese and iron and therefore becomes indicated for the diet of anemic people, children and adolescents who are growing up and for the elderly and sports people.
The main composition, however, is that of honey, rich in simple sugars such as fructose and glucose, they are easy to digest, ready to use for energy and for this reason they are indicated above all for breakfast or in snacks prior to a sport or work activity that requires psychophysical commitment.
How to use lavender honey
The use of honey in the kitchen is very ancient and not only was it a diet food but also a natural healing remedy ; it was in fact used to help wound healing through compresses and external applications on the skin that allowed better healing .
Furthermore, lavender honey is even useful against insect bites as it is a pain reliever and an anti-itch of considerable capacity.
In the kitchen, lavender honey is savored in its natural state and should never be cooked on pain of losing its excellent qualities . It is often combined with fruit and cheese, especially with Sardinian and Sicilian pecorino and with Montasio, all with an intense flavor.
