Dandelion Honey obtained from the nectar of Dandelion flower which comes from genus Taraxacum. This mono-floral honey is harvested from New Zealand's South Island, from two most common sources, Taraxacum laevigatum (red-seed or rock dandelion) and Taraxacum officinale, the best and most common Dandelion for honey bees to pollinate and extract nectar from these flowers.
Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion) is native to Asia and Europe and can be found virtually in different parts of the world. And India is one of them.
It's quite rare and expensive for a few reasons.
Because of the very high sucrose content, so high that it becomes crystallized right in the honeycomb and is tough to harvest.
Before it gets removed from the hive, many other flowers start to bloom, so it gets mixed with the nectar of different flowers and plants and is no longer remain as Dandelion honey (mono-floral honey).
Dandelion honey is harvested in early spring (in April) and is crucial early single-source of food for honey bees of the year. This honey is less plentiful than other mono-floral varietals; therefore, the first combs of the year have to be left by several beekeepers in the hive for bee food. They should harvest before other flowers begin to bloom; otherwise, the bees shift their attention and will start to make poly-floral honey.
The other reason why bees shift their attention to other flowers because they aren't a good source of nutrition for bees. So, honey bees prefer and look for possibilities as they become available. They still forage dandelions for nutritional variety.
Honey usually contains a minimum of 10% nectar of the single flower source to be considered mono-floral.
However, Dandelion honey has purity, ranges between 5% and 65%, but sadly that level may include multiple species within the Taraxacum genus.
So, if you hear or see a bottle anything like Dandelion honey written on it, probably it isn't real Dandelion honey.
Dandelion honey, if it's pure, has a high percentage of Dandelion pollen and is initially bright golden-yellow, just like the flower from where the honey is derived. With the time, as it ages, it crystallizes, it becomes more identifiable as honey, taking on a dark amber colour.
The aroma of this honey has a robust dandelion-like smell, which is often described as having less pleasant components (a pungent smell) like ammonia, vinegar or glue.
Dandelion honey has a strong with a definite aftertaste, depending on the exact mix of nectar sources. It ranges from astringent and bitter to mildly-sweet and herbal. Some may call it bitter, and for some, it may be pleasant. It's almost difficult to be sure to explain Dandelion honey when you consider both its scent and taste.
In providing the body with antioxidants, Dandelion honey is no different from any other type of honey. The primary health advantage of raw Dandelion honey, however, affects the immune system. The ability to increase bowel, liver and kidney function by reducing the acid content of gastric juices by more than 50 percent is another factor that makes Dandelion honey excellent from a health point of view.
Whenever you get a chance to taste it, please do. Try ordering from online retailers.
You probably will be the first man standing, the only one among your friends who tasted it, as it's so rare to find.
The above-provided information is purely based on my own research and study, and hope this is a useful resource for you!
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