Flavor and free amino acid composition of lavender and eucalyptus honeys

Unifloral honeys have highly characteristic flavors due to various volatiles probably derived from the original plant sources. The volatile compounds of honeys from two unifloral sources, lavender and eucalyptus, were investigated. Volatile compounds were extracted with dichloromethane, followed by Likens-Nickerson's simultaneous steam distillation/solvent extraction. The extracts had an intense honey aroma that varied with the type of honey. Compounds (400) were separated by gas chromatography and detected by mass spectrometry. Major flavor compounds were very characteristic of each floral source (linear aldehydes, n-hexanol, coumarin, and phenylacetaldehyde in lavender honeys; diketones, hydroxyketones, 3-hexanol, sulfur compounds, and alkanes in eucalyptus samples).