Harvest Stories & Pairings
From Asal to Safa: A Few Arabic Words for Honey Lovers
Al Safa HoneyOctober 17, 20264 min read
Our name comes from Arabic, a language with a rich vocabulary for honey, bees and purity. Here are a handful of words worth knowing, with how to say them, for anyone curious about where the name on our jar comes from.
Asal: honey
The everyday Arabic word for honey is asal (عسل), said "AH-sal". It is also a term of affection: calling someone asal is a little like calling them sweetheart.
You will see it in names for foods made with honey, and in markets across the Arabic-speaking world, where jars are often sold by the flower they came from.
Shahd: honeycomb
Shahd (شهد), said "shahd", means honey still in the comb. It is often used for the very best honey, the part taken straight from the wax cells.
Like asal, it shows up as a name and as an image for sweetness.
Nahl: bees
Bees are nahl (نحل), said "NAHL", and a single bee is nahla. A beekeeper is a nahhal.
Raw honey is the work of nahl and flowers. Everything after that, for a jar like ours, should be as little as possible.
Safi and Safa: pure, and purity
Safi (صافي), said "SAH-fee", means pure or unmixed. People use it for clear water, a clean sound, or a net figure with nothing left to subtract.
Safa (صفا) is the purity itself: clearness, calm, nothing clouding it. Add the article al and you have our name, Al Safa, "the purity". In Arabic it is usually pronounced "as-SAH-fa".
Putting them together
Asal safi is pure honey: honey and nothing else. It is a simple phrase, and it is the whole idea behind what we put in a jar.
The ritual
A Honey Tasting for Two
A small way to try the vocabulary and the honey at the same time.
- 1Set out two or three different honeys on small plates with a clean spoon for each.
- 2Taste the lightest first and the darkest last, with a sip of water in between.
- 3Name your favorite out loud. If you want to impress someone, call it asal safi.
Questions we get asked
- What is the Arabic word for honey?
- Honey is asal (عسل) in Arabic, pronounced "AH-sal". Honeycomb is shahd (شهد).
- How do you say pure honey in Arabic?
- Pure honey is asal safi (عسل صافي). Safi means pure or unmixed.
- What is the Arabic word for bee?
- Bees are nahl (نحل). One bee is nahla, and a beekeeper is a nahhal.
Al Safa Honey is a food producer, not a medical provider. Nothing here is medical advice or a treatment for any condition — speak with your own doctor about your health, and never give honey of any kind to an infant under one year of age.
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