Miel de Corse

Miel de Corse – Mele di Corsica is honey produced in Corsica by bees of the Corsican ecotype Apis mellifera mellifera L. from plant associations growing spontaneously and naturally on the island. The designation covers honey of complex floral composition and may be assigned one of six varietal designations corresponding to successive types of annual beekeeping production.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-FR-0066, with EU protection dating from 24 August 1999, Miel de Corse – Mele di Corsica is produced exclusively from nectars and honeydew collected by bees of the Corsican ecotype Apis mellifera mellifera L. from plant associations growing spontaneously and naturally in Corsica. Honeys made from cultivated species — including rapeseed, sunflower, sulla, buckwheat and sainfoin — are excluded; citrus plantations are the sole exception to this prohibition. Supplementary feeding of bees is prohibited from 15 days before the honey flow until the honey harvest. Both harvesting and decanting must take place within the defined geographical area of Corsica. The specification defines six varietal designations — spring, spring maquis, maquis honeydew, chestnut grove, summer maquis and autumn maquis — each with prescribed visual, olfactory and gustatory characteristics and corresponding pollen compositions, though assignment of a varietal designation is optional. All honeys must carry a pollen spectrum typical of Corsican origin, a water content below 18 %, and a hydroxymethylfurfural content of no more than 10 mg/kg at packaging; chestnut grove and autumn maquis honeys are permitted a water content below 19 %, and spring maquis honey from tree heather (Erica arborea) is permitted an HMF content of no more than 12 mg/kg at packaging. Labels must bear the words 'Miel de Corse'/'Mele di Corsica', the words 'Appellation d'origine protégée' or 'AOP', and the European Union PDO logo.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 24 August 1999 under file number PDO-FR-0066; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013282.
• Honey must come exclusively from bees of the Corsican ecotype Apis mellifera mellifera L.; honeys from cultivated species such as rapeseed, sunflower and buckwheat are excluded.
• Spring maquis honey from tree heather (Erica arborea) is permitted an HMF content of no more than 12 mg/kg at packaging, higher than the 10 mg/kg limit applying to other varietal types.
• Both harvesting and decanting must take place within the defined geographical area; the specification permits no other production steps to be performed outside Corsica.

Tasting notes

Corsican honey AOP, six varieties tied to seasonal pasture: Printemps (spring all-flower), Maquis de printemps (spring maquis-shrub), Miellats du maquis (maquis honeydew), Châtaigneraie (chestnut), Maquis d'été (summer maquis), Maquis d'automne (autumn maquis with arbutus). Each style has distinct flavor — chestnut version intense bitter-tannic, maquis versions complex herbal-floral with characteristic Corsican-flora notes (myrtle, rosemary, lavender-de-mer).

HoReCa use

**Foundation of Corsican gastronomy** — paired with Brocciu Passu cheese; in fiadone; on Corsican charcuterie boards; with chestnut-flour preparations.

Packaging

• glass-jar-250g
• glass-jar-500g
• gift-pack-by-variety-250g