LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Honey Review: Artisan Wildflower Honey from Sicily
If you are looking for authentic raw Sicilian honey in the UK, LAVERDE Artisan offers something rather more interesting than the standard blended honey found on supermarket shelves.
LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Wildflower Honey is a single-origin, multifloral honey produced in the hills of central Sicily. It is raw, unfiltered and cold-extracted, with the aim of preserving the natural aromas and flavours collected by the bees from the surrounding Sicilian countryside.
We previously tried the company’s Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, you can read our LAVERDE Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil review here, so its raw honey seemed like a natural next addition to the Foodie Explorers pantry.
What is LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Honey?
LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Honey is a 100% Sicilian multifloral wildflower honey produced from apiaries located between approximately 600 and 900 metres above sea level in central Sicily.
Rather than being blended with honey from several countries, LAVERDE states that its honey is entirely Sicilian and can be traced back to its source.
The honey is:
Raw and unfiltered
Single-origin Sicilian honey
Multifloral wildflower honey
Cold-extracted below 35°C
Never heat-treated
Supplied in a recyclable 200g glass jar
Where does LAVERDE Sicilian honey come from?
The honey comes from central Sicily, where the hives sit at elevations of around 600–900 metres.
This landscape provides bees with access to a mixture of wildflowers and herbs rather than one particular crop, which is why the honey is described as multifloral honey rather than a single-flower variety.
The result is a honey designed to reflect the surrounding Sicilian countryside rather than having one dominant flavour.
What does LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Honey taste like?
This honey has a golden colour with floral notes, wild herbs and a delicate caramel finish.
That combination makes it considerably more interesting than simply being “sweet”.
Multifloral honeys can change subtly according to the flowers available to the bees, meaning the character of the honey reflects both the location and the season.
Rather than overpowering whatever it is served with, the floral and herbal character makes this the sort of honey that can work equally well at breakfast, with cheese or as an ingredient in cooking.
What is raw honey?
The honey is cold-extracted at temperatures below 35°C and is not subsequently heated.
Raw honey can naturally become cloudy or crystallise over time. That isn’t necessarily something wrong with the honey, crystallisation is a natural process.
If the honey does crystallise, place the closed jar into warm, rather than hot, water to gently return it to a more liquid consistency.
How to use Sicilian wildflower honey
Although spreading it over warm toast is perhaps the most obvious option, artisan Sicilian honey is surprisingly versatile.
Try LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Honey:
Drizzled over Greek yoghurt and fruit
Spread over warm sourdough or toast
Swirled through porridge
Added to granola
Drizzled over figs
Served alongside pecorino or mature cheddar
Added to a cheeseboard
Drizzled over baked Camembert or Brie
Stirred into tea
Used in salad dressings
Mixed into marinades
Drizzled over roasted vegetables
Added to cakes and desserts.
We have previously reviewed the oil in our LAVERDE Olive Oil review. Made using Biancolilla olives grown around Caltanissetta, the extra virgin olive oil has green tomato, fresh almond and gentle peppery notes, making the two products an interesting introduction to the flavours of central Sicily.
Is raw Sicilian honey better than supermarket honey?
“Better” depends on what you want from honey.
If you only need a sweetener for cooking, an inexpensive supermarket jar will probably do the job perfectly well.
Here you are paying for a product with a stated geographical origin, small-scale artisan production and considerably greater traceability than anonymous blended honey.
Much like buying good olive oil, speciality coffee or single-origin chocolate, you’re getting a product where where it comes from actually matters.
Is LAVERDE Sicilian Honey good for gifting?
Definitely one to consider for a food lover.
The 200g glass jar has a simple premium appearance and would work particularly well in an Italian food hamper, Christmas hamper or foodie gift box.
Pair it with Sicilian olive oil, good coffee, pasta and perhaps a bottle of Sicilian wine and you’d have a rather good taste-of-Sicily present.
LAVERDE also sells its honey alongside its extra virgin olive oil as a gift set.
How much does LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Honey cost?
At the time of writing, a 200g jar of LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Wildflower Honey costs £9 through the LAVERDE Artisan website.
The company currently offers UK delivery, with free delivery on orders over £40.
As prices and delivery offers can change, check the LAVERDE website before ordering.
LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Honey review: verdict
LAVERDE’s Raw Sicilian Wildflower Honey fits neatly into the growing interest in food products where provenance matters just as much as flavour.
Rather than an anonymous blend, this is a single-origin Sicilian honey made from the nectar of wildflowers and herbs surrounding apiaries in central Sicily.
The combination of floral character, wild-herb notes and gentle caramel flavour makes it versatile enough for breakfast, cheese boards, baking and everyday cooking, while its Sicilian provenance gives it something more distinctive than a typical supermarket honey.
At £9 for 200g, it isn’t trying to compete with budget honey. Think of it instead as a premium artisan Sicilian food product to enjoy in smaller quantities where its flavour can actually be noticed.
If you’ve already tried LAVERDE’s olive oil, the honey also makes an interesting companion product and another easy way to bring a little taste of Sicily into the kitchen.
Read next: LAVERDE Olive Oil Review – Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Where to buy LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Honey
LAVERDE Raw Sicilian Wildflower Honey is available directly from the LAVERDE Artisan website.
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