Sulla honey from Sicily

Light Sulla honey from Sicily with delicate floral sweetness

Sulla honey from Sicily is a light blossom honey from the Sulla flowers of western Sicily, mild and delicate in sweetness, with no bitterness at all. Not a bold forest or chestnut honey, but a subtle spring honey, as extracted into 250-gram jars by small producers around Trapani.

Sulla honey from Sicily is a light varietal honey that bees collect in the spring exclusively from the purple blossoms of the Sulla, a type of clover that covers the hills around Trapani. In Italian, it is called Miele di Sulla di Sicilia. Delicate in sweetness, fine in aroma, with a faint herbaceous freshness, it is one of the mildest honeys on the island.

Light in the jar, floral in scent

Freshly extracted, Sulla honey remains liquid and light for a long time; over time, it crystallizes finely and becomes spreadable, its color almost ivory. This very restraint makes it the perfect entry-level choice among varietal honeys, even for those who find bold honey too much.

The scent carries something floral, a green, herbaceous freshness from the meadow, backed by mild sweetness. On the tongue, it is delicate and clean, without any sharpness or bitterness, leaving a hint of a spring meadow with every spoonful. A honey that isn't loud, but quiet—where a chestnut or forest honey makes a bold statement, Sulla honey remains elegantly understated.

On bread, with ricotta, in tea

Its mild aroma makes this blossom honey a calm companion that supports other ingredients without overpowering them.

On fresh white bread with butter, its delicate sweetness shines through purely. It shows its strength when paired with cheese—with creamy ricotta, young pecorino, or a piece of aged cheese, where salt and sweetness meet. Stirred into warm tea, it dissolves gently without becoming intrusive, and it sets a mild tone when drizzled over yogurt at breakfast.

This blossom honey also handles heat well: over roasted vegetables, in a dressing with lemon and olive oil, over warm figs, or stirred into a ricotta cream. And on a spoonful of pure ricotta, it makes for a little Sicilian dessert.

From the Sulla hills around Trapani

Sulla honey is harvested in the spring when the Sulla turns the hills in the far west of Sicily purple, between the salt pans of Trapani and the sea. The Sulla, botanically Sulla coronaria or Mediterranean honeyvetch, is an ancient Mediterranean fodder and green manure plant that enriches the soil and blooms for only a few weeks—its honey is among the first of the year.

It is collected under the umbrella of the Antica Bottega Siciliana, which Salvatore Novara founded in Trapani. After years in northern France and Rome, he returned home to bring together the products of the island's small producers—honey, pesto, and jam made according to old rural recipes rather than in a factory.

Crystals are not a defect, but a sign

Sulla honey remains liquid for a while and then crystallizes finely—a sign of genuine, natural honey, not a defect. If it becomes firm, briefly place the jar in warm water—never above 40 degrees—and it will become spreadable again. Stored in a cool, dry place and taken with a clean, dry spoon, it will last a long time. A teaspoon in tea should not be added when the water is boiling hot, or the delicate aroma will vanish.