Garrigue Honey

Garrigue honey is wild Provence in a jar. Harvested in the Provençal scrubland, where thyme, rosemary, winter savory, wild lavender and broom grow side by side, this multifloral honey concentrates the aromas of the Mediterranean terroir. Ours is harvested in Provence and jarred without pasteurisation, for an authentic taste of the garrigue.

What is garrigue honey?

Garrigue is the low, fragrant, wild Mediterranean scrubland that covers the limestone hills of southern France. Here the bees forage on a mosaic of aromatic plants (thyme, rosemary, winter savory, rockrose, broom) whose nectars combine into a unique honey, different every year depending on what is in flower. It is a terroir honey in the strictest sense: impossible to reproduce elsewhere, and therefore much sought after.

Colour, texture and flavour

Garrigue honey has a golden amber colour, deeper or lighter depending on how far it has crystallised, and a smooth, velvety texture. On the palate it is rich and complex: warm, earthy notes, the aromas of thyme and rosemary, a touch of lavender. A characterful Mediterranean honey, less bold than a chestnut honey, more structured than a lavender honey.

The benefits of garrigue honey

Garrigue honey inherits the virtues of the aromatic plants it comes from, thyme and rosemary first among them:

• comfort for the throat and through winter: the nectars of thyme and winter savory, traditionally considered antiseptic, make it an excellent honey for herbal tea; see our guide which honey for a cough?;
• rich in antioxidants: like most amber honeys, it is well supplied with phenolic compounds;
• vitality: it is the traditional ‘fortifying’ honey of Provençal beekeepers, enjoyed daily to support immunity, as we explain in our article on honey and immunity.

How to enjoy it

Garrigue honey is very versatile in the kitchen: it flavours desserts, savoury dishes, sauces and marinades, pairs well with fresh fruit, dairy and goat’s cheeses, and works wonders in a tagine or on roasted vegetables. Find the Miellerie de Provence recipes in the Recipes section.

Where to find genuine garrigue honey?

Authentic garrigue honey is a local, limited production: you will find it at honey houses and producers in the south of France, rarely in supermarkets in its pure form. Ours is harvested in Provence and dispatched directly from our workshop in Aix-en-Provence. See also all our honeys harvested in Provence.

Storage

Several years at room temperature, jar closed, away from light. Its natural crystallisation shows that it has not been heated. All the answers in does honey go off?

Further reading

Why our honeys are never pasteurised, where exactly they come from (the honey terroirs of Provence), and which honey to give to whom.

Frequently asked questions

What is garrigue honey made of?

It is a multifloral honey from the plants of the Mediterranean scrubland: thyme, rosemary, winter savory, rockrose, broom, wild lavender and more. The proportions vary with the year and the location of the hives, which makes every harvest unique.

What are the benefits of garrigue honey?

It combines the traditional virtues of the aromatic plants it contains: soothing for the throat (thyme, winter savory), rich in antioxidants, and traditionally used as a winter tonic.

What does garrigue honey taste like?

A rich, warm and slightly earthy flavour, marked by thyme and rosemary, with floral notes. It is the very taste of the Provençal hillside.

Garrigue honey or thyme honey: which to choose?

Thyme honey is monofloral and more powerful; garrigue honey is more balanced, as it brings together several aromatic nectars. For a winter herbal tea, both excel.