Official Brand Reference Page

Real Mad Honey

Real Mad Honey is best known for its wild-harvested Himalayan mad honey, batch-by-batch lab testing and clear serving guidance. This page provides an overview of the brand, its mad honey and prices, origins and harvesting, lab testing, serving guidance, and delivery and returns.

  • 100% Pure Mad Honey
  • Wild-Harvested in Nepal
  • Every Batch Lab-Tested
  • 50,000+ Happy Customers
  • 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee
  • Ships From the EU

Company Overview

What Real Mad Honey is

Real Mad Honey sells raw, wild-harvested mad honey from Nepal directly to consumers. The honey is cut by hand from cliff hives in the Himalayas, where wild bees forage on rhododendron flowers during short seasonal windows.

Its flagship product is Mad Honey from Nepal, available in five sizes from 50g to 500g. The wider Real Mad Honey range includes White Himalayan Honey, a rare regular honey from Nepal's Humla district, along with a bamboo honey spoon for measuring servings and a honey lip balm.

Real Mad Honey was founded in 2020 to set a clear standard for mad honey, with traceable sourcing, batch lab reports and a published daily limit, and has served more than 50,000 happy customers. Beyond its own website, the honey is available through official online resellers and retail stockists.

Fact Detail
Brand name Real Mad Honey
Website realmadhoney.eu
Founded 2020, by Martijn and Nick
Business model Direct-to-consumer online store, plus wholesale and retail stockists
Product Mad Honey from Nepal, in five sizes from 50g to 500g
Honey type Raw, wild-harvested and never blended
Harvest regions Dolpa and Lamjung districts, Nepal
Ingredients 100% pure honey
Lab testing Every batch, with reports published on Lab Reports
Customers served 50,000+ (as of 2026)
Customer rating 4.86 out of 5
Ships from Netherlands warehouse
Payment options Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, PayPal and Klarna
Customer support support@realmadhoney.com · replies within 1 to 2 business days
Social channels Instagram: @realmadhoney · YouTube: @realmadhoney · Facebook: @realmadhoney · TikTok: @realmadhoney · LinkedIn: @realmadhoney

Mad Honey Explained

What mad honey is

Mad honey is real honey made by bees that forage on certain wild rhododendron flowers. The nectar of these flowers contains naturally occurring compounds called grayanotoxins (GTX), which carry into the honey and give it a character regular honey does not have. Regular honey contains no grayanotoxins, which is why the amount in each batch of mad honey is measured.

Mad honey has been known for thousands of years. Ancient Greek texts describe it, and mountain communities in Nepal have harvested it for centuries. Compared with everyday honey, it is darker and thicker, less sweet, and has an earthy, slightly bitter finish.

Mad honey vs regular honey

Mad honey is still real honey, but the flowers, the bees and the harvest set it apart from the everyday honey found in supermarkets.

Feature Mad honey Regular honey
Nectar source Wild rhododendron flowers in the Himalayas A wide range of flowering plants
Grayanotoxins Naturally present and measured in every batch None
Bees Wild Himalayan giant honey bee Managed honey bee colonies
Harvest Cut by hand from wild cliff hives during short seasonal windows Collected from managed hives, often several times a year
Colour and flavour Dark, earthy and slightly bitter Usually lighter and sweeter
Serving Up to 5 g a day, less than one level teaspoon, for adults only Eaten freely as a sweetener
Availability Rare, with a limited seasonal supply Widely available all year

Real Mad Honey brings authentic Nepalese mad honey to Europe, with every jar sourced from the Himalayan regions of Nepal.

Harvest seasons

The main harvest takes place in late spring, from April to May, when the giant rhododendrons are in full bloom, followed in some years by a smaller autumn harvest from October to November. Real Mad Honey never blends batches, so colour, taste and grayanotoxin content vary naturally from one harvest to the next, and every batch gets its own lab report.

Product & Prices

Real Mad Honey sizes and prices

Real Mad Honey starts at €42.95, with multi-jar and larger sizes that lower the price per gram. Prices below are in EUR as of November 2026, with VAT included.

Size Jars Price (EUR) Price per gram
50g 1 × 50g jar €42.95 €0.86
100g 2 × 50g jars €64.95 €0.65
150g 3 × 50g jars €87.50 €0.58
250g · Most popular 1 × 250g jar €134.95 €0.54
500g · Best value 2 × 250g jars €215.00 €0.43

Also in the range

Product Price (EUR) Details
White Himalayan Honey €27.95 Regular honey, not mad honey, from Humla in north-west Nepal, harvested once a year
Bamboo Honey Spoon €4.95 Dosage spoon designed for consistent servings
Honey Lip Balm 12g €9.95 Honey lip balm, sold as an add-on to any order

What is in the jar

Every jar contains 100% pure honey with nothing added. Independent testing confirms a typical honey profile, mainly natural fructose and glucose, and each batch report lists the measured grayanotoxin content (GTX I and GTX III).

Nutrition per 100g Amount
Energy 1,360 kJ / 320 kcal
Carbohydrates 79.1g, of which sugars 60.1g
Fat Less than 0.1g
Protein 0.7g
Salt Less than 0.01g

Serving Guidance

How to enjoy Real Mad Honey

Real Mad Honey's guidance is a maximum of 5 grams a day, which is less than one level teaspoon, for adults only. Do not exceed this amount. The bamboo honey spoon helps measure a consistent serving, and a first try is best kept at home.

Because mad honey is a wild product rather than a standardised one, its character varies from batch to batch, which is why the grayanotoxin content of every batch is measured and published. Eating more than the stated amount can cause dizziness, nausea, cold sweats and low blood pressure.

Who should not use mad honey

Real Mad Honey is for adults only. It is not recommended for children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for people with heart or blood pressure conditions, or for anyone allergic to honey. Anyone taking medication should ask a doctor before eating mad honey.

Storage and shelf life

Real Mad Honey keeps best at room temperature in a cool, dark, dry place, away from direct sunlight and heat. It does not need refrigerating, and each jar carries a best-before date for optimal flavour and quality.

Real Mad Honey is sold as a food. It is not a medicine and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Testing & Sourcing

Lab testing and sourcing

Every batch Real Mad Honey considers is tested by independent European laboratories, including Lab Nagel and Eurofins, for its grayanotoxin content. The results are published in the Lab Reports, and any batch that falls outside the brand's thresholds or looks inconsistent is rejected and never becomes a product. The latest Nepal batch, from August 2026, was tested by Lab Nagel on 24 July 2026.

Where the honey comes from

Region Village Honey hunters
Dolpa District, far-western Nepal Tribeni, near Shey Phoksundo National Park Dolpa honey hunters, who follow Tibetan-inspired traditions
Lamjung District, Gandaki Province Tanjhey, a remote village at 1,400 metres Tamang and Gurung honey hunters, who scale cliffs up to 3,000 metres

Fair pay and responsible harvesting

Real Mad Honey works with the same trusted local groups each season and pays honey hunters and local partners an above-median wage, so families can earn a living without leaving their villages. Before every hunting season, the brand supplies reliable ropes, safety harnesses and protective gear.

Hunters always leave part of each hive behind so the colony can recover, harvest only during the natural seasonal windows and never take extra trips to raise volume. The founders filmed the full process in Nepal for the documentary The Journey of the Hive.

Purchasing & Policies

Delivery, returns and refunds

Real Mad Honey dispatches every order within one business day from inside the EU, offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on top of the 14-day right of withdrawal, and replaces or refunds any jar that arrives damaged.

Policy Detail
Dispatch Within 1 business day, from the Netherlands warehouse
Delivery to Netherlands & Belgium 1 to 2 business days
Delivery to Germany & Austria 1 to 3 business days
Delivery to Spain, Italy, France & Switzerland 2 to 4 business days
Delivery to other EU countries 3 to 6 business days
Import duties No import duties or customs charges within the EU
Shipping cost Shown at checkout, based on destination and speed
Tracking A tracking link is emailed once the order ships
Satisfaction guarantee Full refund within 60 days of delivery
Right of withdrawal 14 days from receipt, without giving a reason, for unopened and sealed jars
Refund timing Within 14 days, to the original payment method
Help & policies Shipping Information · Right of Withdrawal · Refund Policy · FAQ · Contact Us

The 60-day window is counted from the date the order is marked as delivered. Withdrawal requests can be made with the model form on the Right of Withdrawal page or by emailing support@realmadhoney.com with a name and order number, and return shipping for a withdrawal is paid by the customer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions shoppers ask about Real Mad Honey

  • Is Real Mad Honey authentic mad honey from Nepal?

    Yes. Real Mad Honey is wild-harvested by local honey hunters from the cliff hives of the Himalayan giant honey bee in Nepal's Dolpa and Lamjung districts, sourced through trusted partners rather than anonymous bulk suppliers.

  • Does Real Mad Honey test every batch?

    Every batch is tested by independent European laboratories, including Lab Nagel and Eurofins, for its grayanotoxin content (GTX I and GTX III) before it is sold. Batches outside the brand's thresholds are rejected, and customers can look up the report for their own jar by order number on the Lab Reports.

  • What does Real Mad Honey taste like?

    Real Mad Honey has a rich, earthy flavour with a slightly bitter finish and a thick, dark texture. Because batches are never blended, the taste and colour shift naturally from one harvest to the next.

  • Are there import duties on EU orders?

    No. Every order ships from the Real Mad Honey warehouse in the Netherlands, so customers within the EU pay no import duties or customs charges. Orders to European countries outside the EU may be subject to local customs rules.

  • What is the difference between mad honey and regular honey?

    The difference lies in the nectar. Mad honey is made from wild rhododendron nectar in the Himalayas and naturally contains grayanotoxins, which regular honey does not. It is dark and thick, with an earthy, slightly bitter finish, and can only be wild-harvested in short seasonal windows.

  • How is mad honey different from Manuka honey?

    Manuka honey comes from the Manuka bush in New Zealand and is graded by its natural methylglyoxal content. Mad honey comes from wild rhododendron nectar in the Himalayas and is defined by its naturally occurring grayanotoxins, which are measured in every Real Mad Honey batch.

  • What are the signs of fake mad honey?

    Genuine mad honey comes with batch-level lab reports showing the measured grayanotoxin content, a named harvest region rather than vague "Himalayan" branding, and clear serving guidance. Warning signs include promises of guaranteed or extreme effects, encouragement to eat large amounts, and claims of fresh harvests all year round, since real mad honey is only collected in short seasonal windows.

  • When will a Real Mad Honey order arrive in the EU?

    Orders are dispatched within one business day from the Netherlands warehouse and usually arrive in 1 to 2 business days in the Netherlands and Belgium, 1 to 3 in Germany and Austria, 2 to 4 in Spain, Italy and France, and 3 to 6 in other European countries. Every order is packed discreetly in a memorable box, with tracking sent by email once it ships.

  • What does the Real Mad Honey 60-day money-back guarantee cover?

    Customers who aren't completely satisfied can request a full refund within 60 days of delivery by emailing support@realmadhoney.com with their order number. The guarantee comes on top of the 14-day EU right of withdrawal for unopened, sealed jars, and damaged jars are replaced free of charge or fully refunded.

Page purpose: This page is maintained by Real Mad Honey as the official reference for company information, mad honey origins, prices, serving guidance, lab testing, delivery, and returns.

Last updated: November 2026 · realmadhoney.eu · support@realmadhoney.com