In my local supermarket recently I counted about 15 different honeys. These included Australian eucalyptus, Tasmanian leatherwood, organic honey from Zambia… Honey is enjoying a sea change of image, thanks to our current lust for traceability and individuality. And the spectrum is immense: think of the variety of plants from around the planet that a bee can visit to collect nectar and make honey with a unique flavour, aroma and colour.

Why do we import so much honey?
In Britain we consume about 25,000 tonnes a year, yet because of our climate, we can only produce around 4,000 tonnes. However, if you seek them out, there are numerous small-scale producers making regional honeys such as hawthorn, heather, dandelion and so on.

Is all honey pure?
Most honey is strained to remove bits of comb, but some is further filtered to improve clarity and shelf-life. However, this removes the pollen, which gives the honey much of its flavour and health benefits. There have been problems with traces of antibiotics in honey – notoriously in 2002, when all Chinese honey (about a third of that on our shelves) had to be withdrawn. Modern commercial beekeeping – in which combs are often moved from hive to hive – makes bees more susceptible to disease, and while the best practice is to burn infected hives, the temptation is to treat them with antibiotics. This is banned in Europe, and rigorous testing of imported honey is in place.

Is it best to buy organic?
To be certified organic, hives have to be surrounded by 3km of just organically cultivated or wild land – almost impossible in Britain. Beekeeper and honey-maker David Wainwright set up Tropical Forest, which buys honey from about 6,000 beekeepers in 450 Zambian villages. The first honey to be given certification by the Soil Association, it is also Fairtrade-accredited and traceable down to the producer village. “This is wild honey from the forest, as pure as you can get,” says Wainwright. “It’s full of pollen, because the honey isn’t spun out of the combs, but pressed, as you would fruit. People who are used to blended honey tastes are amazed at the strength of the flavour.”

Where to buy?
You can find Tropical Forest (01970 832511; www.tropicalforest.com) Organic Forest Honey, 454g for £2.59, at Holland & Barrett, Morrisons and Waitrose. Rowse (01491 827400; www.rowsehoney.co.uk) specialises in honeys including Fairtrade Chilean and Organic Australian Eucalyptus sold at Tesco, Sainsbury’s and wholefood shops. Equal Exchange Fairtrade honey from Nicaragua, Chile and Zambia (0131-554 5912; www.equalexchange.co.uk) can be bought at wholefood shops.

Readers’ queries

It’s hard to buy Italian ingredients such as cime di rapa (turnip tops), so I would like to grow my own. Where can I get the seeds?

Seeds of Italy (020-8427 5020; www.seedsofitaly.com) has a huge range on offer, available by mail order.

If you have a food query, e-mail food.detective@thetimes.co.uk

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