by Nena Dimitriou & Nikoleta Makryonitou, edited by Paulina Björk Kapsalis

While many Greek products are readily available abroad, there are some flavors that you simply need to experience at the source. Greek yogurt and honey is the (local equivalent to, and in some cafés the proverbial) bread and butter of Greek breakfast, and being as it’s a match made in heaven, it’s so good it’s just as often enjoyed for dessert. Unfortunately, while Greek yogurt has made its way to supermarkets worldwide, authentic Greek honey is harder to find.

When you’re in Greece, taste as many local honeys as you can. Below is a list of five of our favorite products on the market right now.

Korys Carob Honey

Organic honey from carob trees in coastal Argolid and Laconia. Perhaps the most distinctive honey I have tasted. When you open the lid you get strong notes of coffee, sweet spices and smokey aromas. Its taste is discreetly piquant. This is too special to waste on cooking and sweets. Enjoy as is. N.D.

Shop online here, or find it at Cava Nektar, Delizioso, and Georgiousi in Athens For information, call the producer at (+30) 6977.992.442.

Apicure Chestnut Honey

Dark color with a noir scent and piquant taste, reminiscent of biting into a smoked chestnut. Low-sugar honey, collected from the chestnut forests of the Athos peninsula. Enjoy it solo, from a spoon. N.M.

Producer tel. 24640-23.789. Shop online here and here (links in Greek, ships within Greece) or at Pontiakon stores.

Arkadiko Meli Vanilla Spruce Honey from Menalo

A first-class organic honey, the only Greek PDO (protected origin) honey from the Mt Melo spruce forest. Rare, with an unparalleled caramel taste, a touch of vanilla, low sugar content, iridescent blonde color and thick texture. Combine with a first-class butter. N.M.

Arkadiko ships internationally. To shop, call (+30) 2710-239.148. For information, go here (link in Greek).

Beekeeper Family Papadopoulos Paliurus Honey

Limited edition single-variety honey from the Jerusalem thorn bush which grows in the Siatista mountains. Contains over 80% Jerusalem thorn pollen. Amber color, runny consistency, piquant and fruity, certified organic. Enjoy it in a glass of warm milk, in tea, on toast with a pinch of coarse salt. N.M.

Find Beekeeper Family products easiest at delicatessen stores in northern Greece, including Olicatessen, Ta Paradosiaka and Edodimon in Thessaloniki. For information, call the producer at (+30) 6936.992.142.

Nomad Eurytania Mountains Spruce Honey

Produced on the spruce-covered slopes of the southern Eurytania region. The bees of nomadic beekeepers harvest the deep forests in the spring and produce an organic honey which is clear, medium-sweet, with elegant aromas. It loves smooth graviera cheeses. N.D.

Find it at Valenia Coffee Vibes in Thessaloniki. For information, go here (link in Greek) or contact the producer at (+30) 6944.836.488.

This article was previously published in Greek at gastronomos.gr.