Honey Odyssey

Unifloral honey

Chestnut honey

Castanea sativa

Chestnut honey comes from the sweet chestnut, a tree of Central and Southern Europe that gives nectar, pollen and sometimes honeydew. It is dark, with a strong woody odour and a distinctly bitter taste in sensory analysis, and pure samples stay liquid for a long time.

Chestnut honey
Photo: Alexander Rahm, CC BY-SA 4.0

What we know

Origin and plant

  • Sweet chestnut grows in many European countries, mostly in Central and Southern Europe.

    Confirmed fact[1]

  • The chestnut is a major source of nectar and pollen for bees, and can also yield honeydew after attack by certain insects.

    Confirmed fact[1]

How to recognise it

  • Chestnut pollen is strongly over-represented, and many laboratories require at least 90% chestnut pollen before accepting a honey as unifloral chestnut.

    Confirmed fact[1]

  • Its colour is dark to very dark with a reddish tone, averaging 87.9 ± 16.0 mm Pfund.

    Confirmed fact[1]

  • In sensory analysis the odour is strong, described as woody, chemical and warm.

    Observation[1]

  • Sensory panels rate it weak in sweetness and acidity but strong in bitterness, with a long aftertaste.

    Observation[1]

Composition

  • Chestnut honey has a recognisable chemical pattern, including a low glucose to water ratio.

    Confirmed fact[1]

Crystallisation and storage

  • Pure chestnut honey stays liquid for a long time because it is high in fructose and low in glucose.

    Confirmed fact[1]

Standards and rules

  • Codex sets an electrical conductivity of not less than 0.8 mS/cm for chestnut honey, the same criterion as for honeydew honey.

    Confirmed fact[2]

  • The European descriptive sheets note that the EU Directive requires chestnut honey to exceed 0.8 mS/cm in electrical conductivity.

    Confirmed fact[1]

Honey Odyssey describes composition, origin and tradition. It does not give medical advice or health claims.

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Sources

  1. Persano Oddo L., Piro R. (2004) Main European unifloral honeys: descriptive sheets. Apidologie 35 (Suppl. 1): S38-S81. doi:10.1051/apido:2004049 Link
  2. Codex Alimentarius Commission. Revised Codex Standard for Honey, CODEX STAN 12-1981, Rev.1 (1987), Rev.2 (2001). FAO/WHO Link

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every statement on this page was compared with the source it cites.