You can use any honey in cooking, but cloudy or set honey should be warmed first to liquefy it so that it can be mixed in evenly. It is generally best to use a light-colored honey for cooking, as the flavor of darker honeys is too strong. Both the color and flavor of different honeys are determined by the nectar the bees collect. Acacia honey, for instance, is thin, runny and pale, honey made from heather is thicker and sometimes cloudy, while clover honey is thick and pale amber.

Mexican alcahual is almost pure white. Sage honey is very dark and strongly flavored, as is lavender honey, which is amber with a green caste. Greek Hymettus has aromatic flavors of marjoram, savory and thyme.