I assume that you all know what honey is and that you all use it from time to time to provide your taste buds with some natural sweet flavor and smoothness.
But, do you know where honey comes from? Yes, it comes from hexagonal-shaped structures made from beeswax and known as honeycombs.
The question is “Are honeycombs edible?”. Yes, indeed and they can be quite flavorful and nutritious – similar to honey itself.
But, what does honeycomb taste like? Well, in general, honeycomb has a unique taste that is both sweet and floral with hints of beeswax which tastes like honey.
However, there are more details to discuss, so let’s get to work and find out all the interesting facts about honeycombs and everything else about it.
Honeycomb Taste Based On The Type Of Flowers
When I said “in general”, I really meant it because there are some factors that influence its exact flavor profile. And one that is quite important is the type of flowers used by the bees. So, let’s take a closer look.
Clover Honeycomb
As the name suggests, clover honeycomb is produced by the bees from clover flowers. It is one of the most popular honeycombs and, of course, one of the most popular types of honey.
It is a lighter and milder version of honeycomb and it has a delicate sweetness with floral undertones.
By some cooks, its flavor profile is sometimes described as somewhat creamy and buttery with hints of vanilla.
That is why it is very popular in cooking applications, as well as in baking.
When you bite into a piece of clover honeycomb, you will experience the unique combo of soft and chewy texture and a burst of honey and wax that melts in your mouth.
Orange Blossom Honeycomb
Although sweet as well, honeycomb produced from the nectar of orange blossom flowers is a bit different when it comes to flavor and texture.
When tasting orange blossom honeycomb, you will most likely experience a more distinctive citrus flavor and aroma, with notes of orange and a slightly tart taste as well.
Unlike clover honeycomb, this type of natural sweetness is considered a darker variation and, consequently, has a thicker and more viscous texture.
If you have some on hand and want to use it to enrich some of your favorite dishes, I would recommend that you add it to desserts and baked goods, where its citrusy flavor can complement other ingredients.
Wildflower Honeycomb
Alongside clover honeycomb, the one produced from wildflower is the most popular variation out there.
Since there are many types of wildflowers, the exact flavor profile can vary, but in general, its flavor profile is a combination of floral and herbal undertones, as well as hints of vanilla, caramel, and other sweet flowers.
When you bite into it, your taste buds will experience a burst of honey and wax that have a smooth and silky mouthfeel, and you will also experience a chewy and slightly sticky texture.
This type of honeycomb can be a great choice for those of you who appreciate the unique palette of floral flavors and aromas that come straight from nature itself.
Lavender Honeycomb
This type of honeycomb produced from lavender flowers has a quite similar flavor profile to the one made from wildflowers.
It has a distinctive floral taste, with notes of lavender and other herbal undertones as well.
When it comes to texture, it is similar to other types of honeycombs, but a little bit thicker and more viscous. The cells of this honeycomb can be chewy and slightly sticky, which can be a good thing for the overall tasting experience.
If you like the flavor complexity and want to provide your dish with some floral twist, lavender honeycomb is your best bet.
Flavor Profile Of Various Honeycomb Products
Just like honey, honeycomb is not only meant for consumption on its own. It can be incorporated into various types of edible products where its unique flavor and texture, as well as nutrition, can enrich that product greatly.
Honeycomb Candy
One of the best sweet treats that I personally tasted not so long ago is definitely honeycomb candy. Since I bought it from the sweets store under the name “cinder toffee”, I didn’t even know what it was exactly, but it tasted wonderful.
I can tell you that it tastes quite similar to honey itself, but it also contains caramel-like flavors with toasty, nutty undertones.
The texture is a little airy and crispy, with a slight chewiness. You can also feel the slight crunch in your mouth alongside all the goodness of honey.
Honeycomb Chocolate
After honeycomb candy, the chocolate made from this natural sweetness is yet another sweet treat that you must experience in your mouth.
Honeycomb chocolate actually presents ordinary chocolate with the addition of pieces of honeycomb candy.
It is a perfect combo of chocolate flavor and sweet and caramel-like flavors of honeycomb candy.
The pieces of honeycomb candy also add a crunchy texture to the treat and therefore it is sometimes referred to as “crunchie” chocolate.
Honeycomb Cereal
Honeycomb cereals are one of the best breakfast options you can choose, believe me.
They are a combination of sweet and crunchy and since they are flavored with honey, they have a rich and sweet taste.
That same honey flavor is mostly dominant but it isn’t overpowering due to the corn flavor of cereal pieces.
Since they have a quite rough texture, it is best to pour a cup of milk over them and they will soften slightly but still retain their crunchy texture, making it the perfect breakfast.
Honeycomb Ice Cream
My final sweet product on this list is one that we all like to enjoy on those hot summer days and, this time, it is made from honeycomb, i.e. pieces of honeycomb candy just like the previously mentioned chocolate.
We all know that the texture of ice cream is creamy and smooth. However, when you add pieces of honeycomb candy to it, you also add a crunchy and brittle texture.
Most honeycomb ice creams are made from a vanilla base, so you will experience the combination of sweet and crunchy honeycomb pieces and those pleasant vanilla flavors.
It is mostly found in ice cream shops, but you can also make your own homemade honeycomb ice cream by just combining these two ingredients.
Honeycomb Vs Honey
One of the most frequently asked questions related to this topic is “What is the difference between honeycomb and raw honey?”.
Well, this is no surprise since honey comes from the honeycomb, but these two have some differences, including their flavor profile as well.
It is similar to finding differences between white and yellow American cheese, as they are practically the same thing with just one of two factors that differentiate them.
The first and most obvious thing is the fact that a honeycomb is a structure made from several components by working bees.
The main parts of honeycombs include wax, cells, pollen, eggs, and, of course, honey.
As you can see, once you bite the honeycomb, your taste buds will experience the combination of flavors and textures from all these different elements.
So, unlike raw honey which has a smooth texture and a quite sweet, floral flavor, honeycomb has a chewy texture (due to the tougher beeswax) and a milder, sweet flavor with hints of pollen (substance collected by bees from the flowers).
All in all, while both natural products are sweet and similar in flavor, they do have some slight differences, especially when it comes to texture.
How To Use Honeycomb To Enjoy Its Best Flavor?
Aside from just breaking off a piece of the honeycomb and enjoying its delicious, chewy texture and mild, sweet flavor, you can also pair it with some other foods and use it in various culinary applications. So, here are some ways to use it and enjoy it.
As A Sweetener
Just like you can use honey to enrich some beverages and drinks (like honey milk tea, for example), you can also use honeycomb for the same purpose.
I love to add a small piece of honeycomb in my tea to use as a natural sweetener, where the heat from the tea will melt down the honey and release its flavors.
I always add it to my chai tea to balance out its flavor, which is quite spicy in nature.
You can also enrich some other drinks with this natural sweetener, including coffee, smoothies, and even lemonade, in which the sweet flavor will successfully balance the acidity and make a perfect flavor profile.
In Cocktails
If you want to add a touch of sweetness and floral notes to your cocktail recipes, then adding a piece of honeycomb can be your best decision.
You will just need to add a small piece of honeycomb at the bottom of your cocktail shaker to release the honey and wax, and then add other ingredients and shake as usual.
Some of the most popular types of honeycomb cocktails include Honeycomb Delight, Honey Wine Sniffer, Milk And Honey cocktail, Yellow Man, Yukon Jack Snifter, Rock Candy, Honeycomb Margarita, and many others.
Honeycomb And Cheese Combo
Believe it or not, the combo of certain types of cheese and honeycomb are becoming one of the most popular pairings in the food world.
Cheese is often salty and savory, so when you add a few pieces of honeycomb to it, its sweetness will successfully complement the salty flavor and the chewy texture will contrast perfectly with the smooth texture of the cheese.
Some of the best ways to do this are to pair camembert or brie with orange blossom honeycomb or blue cheese with clover honeycomb.
There are also some other ingredients that can enrich the overall flavor profile of this combo. I personally like the combo of honeycomb, cheese, nuts, a nice chewy baguette, and fresh pears. This always makes my mouth water.
Spread It On The Toast
If you want to play it simple, you can just spread it on your toast, just like you would do with the raw honey itself.
The combination of beeswax and honey creates a delicious, sweet, and chewy spread that can serve you perfectly for breakfast or as a snack on a roll or piece of toast.
If you live in Italy or are a fan of Italian culture, you can incorporate it into Spuntini as well.
Bake With Honeycomb
Yes, honeycomb can make your baked dishes quite delicious.
First, you can use it as a natural sweetener in a variety of baked dishes, including bread, cakes, and cookies.
You can also use it as a topping in some baked goods like pancakes and cheesecakes, for example. You can just chop your honeycomb into small pieces and sprinkle it on the top and it will add a nice sweet flavor and chewy texture to your dish.
Finally, you can use it as an ingredient by mixing it into the batter or dough for a unique flavor and texture. Honeycomb muffins and granola balls are perfect for this culinary action.
Some of the most popular and delicious baking recipes with honeycomb include honeycomb ice cream muffins, buttermilk, pancakes with whipped honeycomb butter, chocolate cake with caramel and honeycomb sauce, and many others.
