We Have Spotted Lanternfly to Thank for New Honey That Tastes Like ‘Epitome of Autumn’

By

Image via Philadelphia magazine.

It might be hard to believe, but the invasive pest that has been terrorizing Pennsylvania and its trees for nearly seven years has managed to give us one good thing: spotted lanternfly honey, writes Caroline Cunningham for Philadelphia magazine.

This tasty honey is being sold by Philadelphia Bee and is used by baker Sarah Thompson to coat the delicious biscuits she sells in the Tall Poppy pop-up she runs with help from Andy Donaldson. They were immediately fascinated by its dark and complex flavor.

“It’s like the epitome of autumn,” said Thompson.

Last year, Penn State researchers started getting reports of darker and smokier honey being produced by local bees. They performed DNA tests on samples and determined that the sugar profiles matched the tree of haven. Since this tree does not produce nectar on its own for bees to use, there had to be a third party involved. After chopping down the tree, it turned out to be the spotted lanternfly.

Philadelphia Bee is selling the honey under the label “Doom Bloom” for $14 a jar.

Read more about the honey in Philadelphia magazine by clicking here.

Connect With Your Community

Subscribe to stay informed!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Advertisement
Creative Capital logo