How to eat honeycomb: a simple guide from the hive
Yes, you can eat honeycomb, wax and all. Cut off a small piece and eat it as it is, spread it on warm toast, or serve it with cheese. The wax is soft and chewy. You can swallow it or leave it, whichever you prefer.
That covers the two questions we are asked every time someone sees a block of honeycomb for the first time: can you eat it, and how? The rest of this guide covers the best ways to serve it, what to pair it with, how to cut it without making a mess, and how to store it.
What honeycomb is
Honeycomb is honey exactly as the bees stored it. Bees build rows of six-sided wax cells, fill them with nectar, fan the nectar down until it thickens into honey, then seal each cell with a thin cap of wax.
Most honey is spun out of the comb before it goes into a jar. Comb honey skips that step. Nothing is extracted, heated or filtered, so it is the least handled honey you can buy.
One thing to clear up: this is not the crunchy golden toffee that is also called honeycomb. That is a sweet made from sugar and bicarb soda. Real honeycomb comes out of a beehive.
Can you eat the wax?
Yes. The wax in honeycomb is beeswax, made by the bees themselves, and it is safe to eat in the small amounts that come with a serve of comb.
It has very little taste of its own. The texture is the point: soft at first, then chewy, a little like gum. Some people swallow it and some people chew it and leave it on the side of the plate. Both are fine.
A little goes a long way, and honeycomb is best enjoyed a small piece at a time.
Seven easy ways to eat honeycomb
Eat it straight from the comb. A teaspoon-sized piece is the simplest way to taste it properly.
Put it on hot buttered toast or a crumpet. The warmth softens the wax so it spreads and almost disappears.
Add it to a cheese board. This is the classic, and there is more on it below.
Spoon it over thick yoghurt, porridge or granola for breakfast.
Serve it with vanilla ice cream, panna cotta or pavlova. A small square on top makes a plain dessert look finished.
Break it over a salad with something salty and sharp, such as rocket, pear, walnuts and blue cheese.
Sit a piece on a warm scone or pancake in place of syrup.
One place it does not work is a hot drink. The wax melts and floats on top of your tea. Use a liquid honey for that and keep the comb for eating.
Honeycomb on a cheese board
Honey and cheese work together because sweet balances salty and sharp. Honeycomb does the job better than a drizzle from a jar, because it stays where you put it and looks good on the board.
These pairings are a reliable place to start.
Blue cheese, where the sweetness takes the edge off the bite.
Aged cheddar, for a salty and sweet mouthful.
Brie or camembert, with a slice of pear.
Fresh goat's cheese on a plain cracker.
A hard cheese such as parmesan or manchego, broken into chunks.
Add walnuts, sliced pear or fig, and plain crackers that will not compete with the honey.
Serve the comb at room temperature on its own small plate or a dish with a lip, because the honey will run once it is cut. Give it its own knife or spoon.
How to cut honeycomb without the mess
Let the comb come up to room temperature if it has been somewhere cold.
Run a small sharp knife under hot water and dry it.
Cut straight down in one firm movement. Sawing back and forth crushes the cells.
Cut small squares, about the size of a postage stamp, and lift them with the flat of the knife.
Wipe and re-warm the knife every few cuts.
How to store honeycomb
Keep honeycomb in a sealed container in a cool, dark cupboard. It does not need to go in the fridge. Cold makes the honey crystallise sooner and turns the wax hard.
Keep the lid on between uses. Honey draws moisture from the air, and an open container will also bring ants.
Over time the honey inside the comb may crystallise and look cloudy. That is natural and it is still fine to eat. We explain why it happens in does honey expire?
Common questions about honeycomb
Is it safe to eat honeycomb wax?
Yes. Beeswax is safe to eat in small amounts. It is chewy and filling, so there is no need to eat a lot of it. If you would rather not swallow it, chew it and leave it.
What does honeycomb taste like?
It tastes like the honey it holds, with a soft chew from the wax. The flavour depends on the flowers the bees were visiting when they made it.
Is honeycomb the same as honeycomb toffee?
No. Honeycomb toffee is a sweet made from sugar and bicarb soda. Real honeycomb is beeswax comb filled with honey, straight from the hive.
Does honeycomb go off?
Honey does not spoil, and that includes honey in the comb. Kept sealed in a cool, dark cupboard, honeycomb lasts a very long time. It may crystallise, which changes the texture and nothing else.
Should honeycomb be kept in the fridge?
No. Room temperature is best. The fridge hardens the wax and makes the honey crystallise sooner.
Can you put honeycomb in tea?
You can, though it is not the best use for it. The wax melts and floats. Liquid honey is better for hot drinks.
Can babies and children eat honeycomb?
Honey and honeycomb should not be given to children under 12 months old. Older children can enjoy it in small pieces. Anyone with an allergy to bee products or pollen should take care.
Where to buy raw honeycomb
Our raw honeycomb is Western Australian comb honey. The 150 g size is right for a cheese board, and it makes an easy gift for someone who loves food.
For a wedding, a grazing table or a restaurant, the raw honeycomb frame is a whole frame of comb, about 1.5 kg, that guests can help themselves to.
Delivery is a flat $9.95 anywhere in Australia, and free on orders over $125.
If you are still deciding which honey to put next to it, our guide to how to choose honey will help.