Turkey is one of the major producers of honey. Honey has been used by humans for at least 10,000 years. Turks are among people who love the taste of honey, and wall paintings and other motifs found at Çatalhöyük alone date back to 8,000-7,000 B.C. Honey is almost used in every Turkish breakfast, and with this much use, one wonders, is Turkish honey any good? 
You might be surprised that honey tastes different depending on the variety. Based on the location, and the kind of flowers that the bees fed on, the taste can be very different. In Turkey, there are a wide variety of honey flavors that hail from different regions and that are used in different capacities. Here are different variety of Turkish honey you might want to try:
Flower Honey – Çiçek Balı
In general, this honey is made from a variety of flowers and is thus a “poly-floral” honey that doesn’t contain any particularly distinct flavor other than the familiar sweetness we associate with the product. Some of the varieties found in Turkey are chestnut, sunflower, lavender, carob, lemon and orange blossom, while some of the more rare types are alfalfa, eucalyptus, linden, mint and rosemary.
Pine Honey – Çam Balı
Accounting for 92% of the world’s pine honey production, this variety of honey is widely available in Turkey and is predominantly produced in the country’s southern Aegean and western Mediterranean regions. Three-quarters of the pine honey produced in Turkey is in fact derived from Muğla province alone. Unlike flower honey, pine honey is actually produced from honeydew, which is a liquid secreted from a type of insect that lives on pine trees. Pine honey is darker and less sweet than flower honey, yet it is as nutritious as regular honey.
Citrus Honey – Narenciye Balı
Most prevalent in the Mediterranean region, there are a variety of citrus honeys that are revered for their aromatic flavors in Turkey. These types of honey include lemon, orange, mandarin and grapefruit and are either harvested from one type or multiple types of citrus tree blossoms.
Chestnut Honey – Kestane Balı
Chestnut honey hails from the nectar of flowers on chestnut trees that only blossom for a fortnight in June in forests along the northern Black Sea coastal region. Known for its strong and distinctly bitter flavor, chestnut honey is more frequently used for its medicinal purposes, which includes easing symptoms from asthma and respiratory issues, to give energy and as a cure for bad breath. It is also used topically to heal burns.
The list of Turkish honey seems non ending, so I mention some of them here rather than going into details:
Sunflower Honey – Ayçiçek Balı, Thyme Honey – Kekik Balı, Lavender Honey – Lavanta Balı, Acacia Honey – Akasya Balı, Highland Honey – Anzer Balı, Mad Honey – Deli Bal
You might be surprised that honey tastes different depending on the variety. Based on the location, and the kind of flowers that the bees fed on, the taste can be very different. In Turkey, there are a wide variety of honey flavors that hail from different regions and that are used in different capacities. Here are different variety of Turkish honey you might want to try:
Flower Honey – Çiçek Balı
In general, this honey is made from a variety of flowers and is thus a “poly-floral” honey that doesn’t contain any particularly distinct flavor other than the familiar sweetness we associate with the product. Some of the varieties found in Turkey are chestnut, sunflower, lavender, carob, lemon and orange blossom, while some of the more rare types are alfalfa, eucalyptus, linden, mint and rosemary.
Pine Honey – Çam Balı
Accounting for 92% of the world’s pine honey production, this variety of honey is widely available in Turkey and is predominantly produced in the country’s southern Aegean and western Mediterranean regions. Three-quarters of the pine honey produced in Turkey is in fact derived from Muğla province alone. Unlike flower honey, pine honey is actually produced from honeydew, which is a liquid secreted from a type of insect that lives on pine trees. Pine honey is darker and less sweet than flower honey, yet it is as nutritious as regular honey.
Citrus Honey – Narenciye Balı
Most prevalent in the Mediterranean region, there are a variety of citrus honeys that are revered for their aromatic flavors in Turkey. These types of honey include lemon, orange, mandarin and grapefruit and are either harvested from one type or multiple types of citrus tree blossoms.
Chestnut Honey – Kestane Balı
Chestnut honey hails from the nectar of flowers on chestnut trees that only blossom for a fortnight in June in forests along the northern Black Sea coastal region. Known for its strong and distinctly bitter flavor, chestnut honey is more frequently used for its medicinal purposes, which includes easing symptoms from asthma and respiratory issues, to give energy and as a cure for bad breath. It is also used topically to heal burns.
The list of Turkish honey seems non ending, so I mention some of them here rather than going into details:
Sunflower Honey – Ayçiçek Balı, Thyme Honey – Kekik Balı, Lavender Honey – Lavanta Balı, Acacia Honey – Akasya Balı, Highland Honey – Anzer Balı, Mad Honey – Deli Bal