250 g or 500 g jar, Moroccan honey from resin spurge (Euphorbia resinifera), Souss region.
A dark, frankly bitter honey with a warm, peppery finish. Not suitable for children under 12 months. Miel Impérial Selection
Daghmous honey
€16.90
Tax included
250 g or 500 g jar, Moroccan honey from resin spurge (Euphorbia resinifera), Souss region.
A dark, frankly bitter honey with a warm, peppery finish. Not suitable for children under 12 months. Miel Impérial Selection
Miel Impérial Selection
Moroccan Daghmous Honey
Daghmous honey is a Moroccan honey gathered from resin spurge (Euphorbia resinifera), a spiny succulent of the Atlas foothills that is often taken for a cactus. It is a honey with character: dark, powerful, frankly bitter, with a finish that warms the throat. Available in 250 g and 500 g jars.
Miel Impérial Daghmous honey: Moroccan euphorbia honey in 250 g and 500 g
• Daghmous honey is a Moroccan monofloral honey from resin spurge, Euphorbia resinifera, of the Euphorbiaceae family.
• Daghmous is not a cactus: it is a spiny succulent with four-angled stems, growing on the slopes of the Atlas, which only looks like a cactus.
• Daghmous honey is recognised by its marked bitterness and its warm, peppery finish, which sets it apart from every flower honey.
• Miel Impérial daghmous honey is harvested in the Souss region, around Taroudant, and offered in a 250 g or 500 g jar.
• Like any honey, it is not suitable for children under 12 months, and it crystallises naturally over time.
250 g or 500 g
two sizes
Euphorbia resinifera
spurge, not cactus
Souss, Morocco
Taroudant area
Bitter and warm
peppery finish
Daghmous, a spurge mistaken for a cactus
Daghmous is the Moroccan name for resin spurge, Euphorbia resinifera, a succulent of the Euphorbiaceae family. It forms dense cushions up to two metres across, with four-angled stems bearing pairs of spines. From a distance the shape suggests a cactus, hence the trade name cactus honey that is still widely used. Botanically, spurges and cacti are two separate families.
The plant grows on the slopes of the Moroccan Atlas. Its latex contains resiniferatoxin, a molecule close to the capsaicin of chilli peppers, which is why the plant is handled with gloves. The honey itself is gathered by bees from the nectar of its flowers, in spring, over a short flowering period that explains its relative scarcity.
What daghmous honey tastes like
This honey is like no flower honey. The colour is dark, amber to russet brown. The first impression is frankly bitter, without the round sweetness a honey usually brings. Then comes a warm, almost peppery sensation that stays in the throat for several seconds after swallowing.
It is a profile that divides opinion: some find it too powerful from the first spoonful, others buy nothing else. If Moroccan honeys are new to you, we suggest starting with a small amount at the end of a meal rather than on toast at breakfast.
Souss and Taroudant, the daghmous country
Our daghmous honey comes from the Souss region, specifically around Taroudant, a plain framed by the High Atlas to the north and the Anti-Atlas to the south, opening onto the Atlantic to the west. That position gives it a dry, bright climate and a flora ranging from the citrus of the plain to the arid-ground plants of the hills.
It is on those dry, stony grounds that the spurge grows. Hives are placed there during flowering, then moved on: daghmous is a seasonal honey, tied to a plant that does not flower for long. That is why it is harder to find than the orange blossom or thyme honeys of the same region.
How to use daghmous honey
By the spoonful, after a meal
This is the use that does it the most justice. Half a spoonful is enough: daghmous honey is not eaten like acacia honey.
With a matured cheese
Its bitterness stands up to strong cheeses: dry goat's cheese, sheep's cheese, blues. It is the easiest pairing to get right when discovering it.
In slow-cooked dishes
A spoonful at the end of cooking on a tagine, white meats or prawns: it brings a warm note that sugar alone does not give.
In an infusion
Added off the heat to a herbal tea or a cooled tea, it perfumes without dominating. Avoid pouring it into a boiling liquid.
250 g or 500 g jar?
Both sizes hold the same honey. The 250 g jar is the right choice to discover it: given the intensity of daghmous, it is used slowly and a small jar lasts a long time. The 500 g jar is for those who already know it, cook with it or share it at home.
In the same family
Spurge yields honey elsewhere too: our Yemen euphorbia honey comes from the same botanical family, in a completely different terroir and climate, which makes for an interesting side-by-side tasting.
And if you want to discover it or give it without choosing the size yourself, the daghmous honey pack is made for that.
Precautions
• Not suitable for children under 12 months, as with every honey without exception.
• Allergy to bee products: do not consume if you have a known allergy to honey, pollen or propolis.
• If you follow a controlled-sugar diet, take it into account as with any honey and ask your doctor.
• Do not heat the honey above 40 °C: a warm water bath to liquefy it, never a microwave or a boiling liquid.
• Use a clean, dry spoon each time: a damp spoon brings water into the jar and encourages fermentation.
Storage and crystallisation
Keep the jar tightly closed, at room temperature, in a dry place, away from sunlight and any heat source. Moisture is the real enemy of honey: above roughly 18% water, fermentation can start, and a fermenting honey develops a sour smell and foam on the surface. A kitchen cupboard away from the oven is fine; the bathroom is not.
Crystallisation is normal and not a fault: it is in fact a sign of a lightly processed honey. To bring back a fluid texture, place the jar for a few minutes in a warm water bath, below 40 °C, and stir. Refer to the best-before date printed on the label.
Daghmous honey: your questions
Is daghmous honey a cactus honey?
No, and that is the most widespread mistake. Daghmous is a spurge, Euphorbia resinifera, of the Euphorbiaceae family. It resembles a cactus in its spiny, fleshy shape, but cacti form a different botanical family. The name cactus honey remains common in the trade.
Why is daghmous honey bitter?
That is this honey's signature, tied to its floral origin. Where a flower honey plays on sweetness, daghmous opens on bitterness and leaves a warm, peppery sensation in the throat. It is not a production fault nor a sign of poor storage.
What does daghmous honey taste like?
Dark in colour, bitter on the attack, then warm and peppery on the finish, with a long persistence. It is a honey of character, closer to a condiment than to a breakfast honey.
Where does your daghmous honey come from?
From the Souss region, around Taroudant, in southern Morocco, where the spurge grows on the dry ground of the hills.
250 g or 500 g, which jar?
The 250 g to discover it, as daghmous is used slowly. The 500 g if you already know it or cook with it.
My daghmous honey has crystallised, what should I do?
Nothing unusual: crystallisation is natural behaviour for honey. Place the jar for a few minutes in a warm water bath, below 40 °C, and stir. Avoid the microwave.
Can you cook with daghmous honey?
Yes, it holds up very well in slow-cooked dishes, tagines and white meats, added at the end of cooking. Its bitterness avoids the over-sweet effect other honeys give.
Is daghmous honey suitable for children?
Not before 12 months, as with all honeys. Beyond that, its bitterness and peppery finish make it poorly suited to young palates anyway.
A honey like no other
Daghmous honey · spurge of the Souss · 250 g or 500 g jar · bitter, warm, peppery · a Miel Impérial selection.