At 04:30 PM 5/9/96 +0500, Conrad Sigona wrote: > >I believe what you're speaking of is tannen honig (fir tree honey), which would explain >its turpentine taste. In Germany, its quite expensive compared to regular honey. >As I recall, it isn't a honey gathered by bees but a substance extracted by boiling. >I might be wrong about that, so perhaps some German friend of the bee list will >set me straight. > Tannen Honnig is a honeydew, i.e. collected by honeybees from the host plant via an intermediate sap sucking insect, eg aphids, scale insects. Germany is the largest consumer of honeydew honeys with many coming from all over Europe. Sources include Encina (oak), chestnut, Pine, fir (both red and white). Countries include France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Turkey and New Zealand - plus others. Generally these are marketed as "Wald Honig" (forest honey) but often as their particular species as in the case of tannen honnig. Peter Bray Airborne Honey Ltd. [log in to unmask]