What are the differences between monofloral and multifloral honey?

Monofloral and multifloral honey are terms used to describe different types of honey based on the floral sources from which the bees collect nectar.

Monofloral honey comes from a single predominant floral source, meaning the nectar primarily comes from one type of flower. Bees gather nectar from a specific plant species or a particular area where a specific plant predominates. Examples of monofloral honey include litchi honey, black seed honey, mustard honey, tulsi honey, lavender honey. Monofloral honey tends to have a distinct flavour, aroma and colour profile influenced by the specific flower.

Multifloral honey, also known as wildflower honey, is derived from the nectar of multiple types of flowers or a mix of different floral sources. Bees collect nectar from various flowers in their foraging range, resulting in a diverse blend of nectars. The composition of multifloral honey can vary depending on the location, season and available flowers. The flavour, aroma and colour of multifloral honey may be more generalised and less distinct compared to monofloral honey. Honey collected from the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans is generally multifloral honey, since bees in this area forage on different types of flowers like Khalsi, Garan, Geun or Keora, indigenous to the Sundarbans.