The following honeys are not collected by bees but by humans, and are marketed as "artificial honey."
The following four types of honey are fabricated by distributors and are artificial honey.
1. Grape Honey
Grapes produce only pollen, not honey.
2. Honeysuckle Honey
Honeysuckle flowers have long, slender corollas. Bees have short mouthparts and cannot collect nectar from them.
3. Coptis Honey
Coptis primarily grows in Shaanxi, Hubei, and Sichuan provinces.
As a renowned traditional Chinese medicine, extensive harvesting has made wild Coptis extremely rare. Nearly all Coptis on the market today is cultivated. It thrives in mountain forests or shaded valleys, growing wild or cultivated. Flowering occurs from February to March, with fruiting from April to May.
In China, except for several southern provinces with warmer temperatures in February-March, bees in most other regions are in the midst of spring brood rearing. This phase inherently requires beekeepers to supplement with sugar feeding.
4. Snow Lotus Honey
Snow lotus grows in the frigid highlands of China's northwest, where it thrives as a highly potent medicinal plant.
Typically found among snow-capped peaks, it endures extreme climatic fluctuations—alternating rain and snow, with monthly averages ranging from 3–5°C to -19 to -21°C.
Bees become active only when temperatures exceed around 15°C! Can you imagine honey production under such conditions?
Exercise caution when purchasing these 8 types of honey:
5. Loquat Honey
Loquats typically bloom in November-December of the previous year, with fruit harvested for consumption in April-May of the following year.
Loquat honey is only found in the Putian area of Fujian Province.
Putian is China's largest loquat production base. While temperatures are relatively high during flowering season there, yields depend on the harvest year and are not guaranteed annually.
Production is limited. It is fundamentally impossible for this honey to become a commercially available product nationwide.
6. Wild Rose Honey
True roses do not produce nectar because their stamens and pistils are degenerate, preventing fruit formation and thus eliminating nectar production.
There is also wild rose honey, but do not assume it comes from wild roses. The botanical name for wild rose is Rosa multiflora. This honey is extremely rare; if found, it is considered a premium product commanding a high price.
Most "rose honey" sold commercially isn't derived from rose nectar. Instead, rose flower pulp is mixed into natural honey and marketed as rose honey. While the name itself isn't technically incorrect, it misleads consumers. Be aware of these variations when purchasing.
7. Osmanthus Honey
Osmanthus honey is water-white in color with a rich, fragrant osmanthus aroma.Only wild osmanthus in deep mountains produces honey during favorable weather conditions! However, temperatures drop significantly in October, and the Italian honeybees that supply most of our honey have typically begun hibernation, making collection rare. While Chinese honeybees can produce some wild osmanthus honey, it remains extremely scarce and cannot be commercialized. Much of the "wild osmanthus honey" on the market is actually masquerading as acacia or other honeys.
8. Motherwort
Motherwort honey is white in color (with a slight yellow tint).
Motherwort serves as a supplementary nectar source! It typically blooms in mid-to-late May, coinciding with the most challenging period for apiaries (when few other flowers are in bloom).
Due to severe resource depletion, harvests are now only possible in exceptionally favorable years. Yields remain extremely limited.
However, since buyers only purchase during peak honey seasons, any available motherwort honey is typically mixed with other honeys.
9. Apple Blossom Honey
Apple blossoms produce minimal nectar, usually sufficient only for the bees' own consumption.
Similar to the absence of commercial watermelon honey, it fundamentally cannot form commercial honey.
10. Goji Berry
Flowering period: May–September; fruiting period: July–October. Grows on sunny, dry slopes and fields. Mainly produced in Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang.
Goji berries typically serve as a supplementary nectar source for apiaries. During their flowering period, more stable sources like sesame, cotton, and broomrape are already in bloom. Large apiaries focused on commercial honey production generally migrate to these primary sources.
11. Astragalus membranaceus
Flowering period: June–July; fruiting period: August–September. Thrives in arid conditions with strong adaptability. Produced in North China, Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, and Northwest China, with primary production in Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Hebei, and other provinces.
As a legume, Astragalus typically yields only pollen, not honey.
How to Identify Genuine Honey
Experts offer these tips for detecting counterfeit honey: First, rub a small amount between your fingers. Genuine honey feels sticky and clings to your skin, while sugar-adulterated honey remains grainy, gritty, and non-sticky. Second, place a drop on a paper towel—if it spreads, the honey contains excessive moisture.Third, many mistakenly believe crystallized honey is inferior. In reality, most processed honeys crystallize at low temperatures—except for locust or jujube blossom honeys. Non-crystallizing honey may be counterfeit.
Generally, honey keeps for about three years. Avoid refrigeration to prevent crystallization. Always seal the lid tightly; air exposure causes oxidation that degrades nutrients.For fresh honey from the current year, purchase directly from apiaries, preferably local beekeepers. Avoid bulk honey sold at farmers' markets or roadside stalls. The above outlines 11 types of counterfeit honey. When purchasing honey, be cautious and avoid these varieties. For authentic honey, buy directly from local beekeepers.