Where Does Honey Come From? From the Flower to the Store Shelf
Where does honey come from? The short answer is bees, which make it from the nectar of flowers. The longer answer is a journey that runs from a flower to a hive, from a hive to a beekeeper, and often across oceans before it reaches a store shelf. This guide follows that journey and explains how to find out where the honey in your own kitchen came from.
Step 1: the flower
Every honey starts as nectar, a sugary liquid that flowers make to attract pollinators. Different flowers make different nectar, which is why clover honey, buckwheat honey and orange blossom honey taste so unlike each other. See nectar vs honey and types of honey.
Step 2: the bees and the hive
Forager bees drink nectar and carry it back to the hive, where house bees add enzymes and fan their wings to evaporate water until the honey is thick. They store it in wax cells and cap it. A colony makes honey as its food store for winter. Our guide how is honey made explains each step inside the hive.
Step 3: the beekeeper
Beekeepers take only the surplus the colony does not need. They remove frames of capped honey, slice off the wax caps, spin the frames in an extractor and strain the honey to remove wax. Raw honey producers stop there and jar it. Large packers often heat and finely filter honey so it stays clear longer. See raw honey vs regular honey.
Step 4: the long road to your store
US beekeepers produced about 115.7 million pounds of honey in 2025, according to the USDA, but Americans eat far more than that, so much of the honey in US stores is imported. Major suppliers in recent years have included Argentina, Brazil, India and Vietnam, with smaller amounts from Canada, Mexico, Uruguay and others. Imported honey is often blended by packers to keep color and flavor consistent.
That is not good or bad in itself, but it is why two jars that look the same can come from very different places.
| Label wording | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Product of USA | Produced in the US |
| Harvested in New York State | Specific state of origin |
| Product of Brazil, Argentina... | Imported from the countries named |
| Blend of US and imported honey | Mixed origins |
How to find out where your honey comes from
Check the label for the country of origin, which US customs rules require on imported products. Look for a named flower source and, ideally, a state or region. Small producers can usually tell you exactly where and when the honey was harvested. Our guides on honey labels explained and where to buy raw honey go further.
Where our honey comes from
Al Safa honeys come from partner beekeepers in three US states. Pure Raw, Clover, Wildflower, Buckwheat, Sunflower and Blueberry Blossom are harvested in New York State. Knotweed comes from North Dakota and Orange Blossom from Florida. Each jar names its flower source and is never heated above hive temperature. Start with Pure Raw Honey.
See top honey producing states for how these states rank.
Sources
- Honey report · USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
Frequently asked questions
- Where does honey come from?
- Honey bees make it from flower nectar. Beekeepers harvest the surplus from the hive.
- Is most honey in the US imported?
- Much of it is. The US eats far more honey than it produces, so a large share is imported.
- Which countries export honey to the US?
- Major suppliers in recent years include Argentina, Brazil, India and Vietnam, with smaller amounts from other countries.
- How can I tell where honey was made?
- Check the label for the country of origin, and look for a named state, region and flower source.
- Is imported honey bad?
- Not necessarily. Quality varies by producer and country. Look for a named origin and flower source, and buy from sellers who explain where their honey comes from.
Al Safa Honey is a food producer, not a medical provider. Nothing here is medical advice. Never give honey of any kind to a baby under 12 months old.
