Millefiori Honey: What It Is, How It Tastes and How to Use It

Most people think a jar of millefiori honey that turns pale and firm has gone off. It hasn't: crystallisation is completely natural, and with millefiori it often happens within a few weeks. That, and the fact that no two jars taste exactly the same, is what sets this honey apart.

What is millefiori honey?

Millefiori is Italian for "a thousand flowers". Millefiori honey is made by bees from the nectar of many different flowering plants, gathered in the same area and season. In English it is usually called wildflower honey or multifloral honey. It is the opposite of a monofloral honey such as acacia, chestnut, orange blossom or linden, which comes mainly from a single plant.

Because it depends on whatever is in bloom around the hives, millefiori changes from region to region and from season to season – it is the honey that tells you about a landscape.

Colour and taste: why every jar is different

• Spring millefiori: usually light, from straw yellow to golden, with a delicate, floral taste.
• Summer millefiori: darker and amber, more intense: slightly bitter when chestnut is part of the harvest, with balsamic, liquorice-like notes when eucalyptus is.
• Texture: runny when freshly extracted, creamy or firm once it crystallises.

Why it crystallises – and how to make it runny again

Honey is mostly made of two sugars, glucose and fructose. The more glucose, the sooner it crystallises. Millefiori usually has plenty, so it turns creamy within weeks or months, while acacia honey, rich in fructose, stays liquid much longer. Cool temperatures, around 10–15 °C, speed the process up; much colder storage slows it down.

To make it runny again, stand the jar in a bowl of warm water, below 40 °C, and stir now and then. Higher temperatures change its aroma and taste.

How to store it

At room temperature, in a cool, dry place away from light, with the lid tightly closed – honey picks up moisture and smells. It doesn't need the fridge. The date to go by is always the one on the label.

How to choose a good millefiori: 4 things on the label

1. Origin: the country of harvest must be stated. In the EU, since 14 June 2026 blends of honey from several countries must list every country of origin, in descending order of weight and with the percentage of each.
2. Producer: the name and address of the beekeeper or packer.
3. Name: "millefiori", "wildflower" or "multifloral"; a single flower name means a monofloral honey.
4. Texture: a crystallised millefiori is not a fault – it is normal.

How to use millefiori honey in the kitchen

With cheese

The classic Italian way: a drizzle over aged pecorino, gorgonzola, goat's cheese or ricotta. The sweetness balances the salt of the cheese.

In baking, instead of sugar

Honey is about one fifth water, so the recipe needs adjusting. A rule of thumb: replace 100 g of sugar with 80–100 g of honey, reduce the other liquids by 15–20 ml per 100 g of honey, add a pinch of baking soda and lower the oven by about 15 °C, because honey browns the surface faster.

In savoury dishes

In glazes for roast meat and oven-baked vegetables, in dressings (a teaspoon each of honey and mustard, vinegar and olive oil), with nuts and cured ham. Adding it towards the end of cooking keeps its aroma.

On a cheese board: honey or jam?

We don't make honey. On an Italian cheese board, though, a jam with plenty of fruit does the same job as a drizzle of honey – sweet against salty – and brings the taste of the fruit as well. Our fig jam, made from white Dottato figs with no added pectin, is the one Italians put next to aged pecorino and blue cheese.

From our range White Fig Jam White Dottato figs, no added pectin. € 7,90 Discover → or build your own box

For a complete board there is the set with three jams (fig, black blueberry, apricot) and red peppers in olive oil.

From our range Cheese Board Set Fig, black blueberry and apricot jam, red peppers in olive oil. € 28,90 Discover → or build your own box

Frequently asked questions

What is millefiori honey in English?

Wildflower honey or multifloral honey. Many labels simply keep the Italian word millefiori.

What is the difference between millefiori and acacia honey?

Acacia is monofloral: very pale, mild and consistent in taste, and it stays liquid for a long time. Millefiori comes from many flowers, its taste changes with region and season, and it crystallises sooner.

Why is some millefiori honey light and some dark?

It depends on which flowers the bees visited and when the honey was harvested: spring harvests are usually lighter, summer harvests darker.

Can I use crystallised honey?

Yes, just like runny honey. It spreads better on bread and dissolves in hot drinks; for recipes you can make it liquid again in warm water below 40 °C.

All our jams and marmalades: Jams collection.