BY EVELYN KARATZAS, DEC 30 2025
CHICAGO – A Chicago-based business, Laconic Foods, run by Paul Manokas and his wife Maria has introduced a unique, blue-colored honey, to its array of Greek-imported product range.
When you think of honey, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?
Chances are, you picture a clear glass jar, filled with a sticky, but smooth, golden, syrup-like spread.
The team behind Laconic Foods in Chicago however, Paul Manokas and Maria Papadakis upped their game, and the way people view honey by introducing a new product, one you’ve probably never heard of or seen before – blue honey.
Titled ‘Cyano’, it is described as a raw, Greek, blue artisanal honey which is mixed with spirulina, giving it its rich, ocean-blue color. This product further blends tradition, craftsmanship and, innovation, to form a new, and highly-favorable product.
Maria Papadakis and Paul Manokas, the owners of Laconic Foods. Photo: Laconic Foods
In an interview with The National Herald, Paul Manokas revealed how the Cyano honey was released just over one year ago, as a collaboration between Laconic Foods, he and his wife’s business, and Athens-based Greek chemical engineer, George Lignos. He explained how the product came about.
“Well, we come from a family of beekeepers and olive growers, and originally, my wife started bottling the olive oil to give it to friends, family and co-workers,” Manokas told TNH.
“Every summer, we go to Greece on vacation, and one year my uncle said, ‘why don’t you start selling the honey in America,’ and we didn’t really want to at first, because we just wanted to focus on the olive oil, but then the honey kind of picked up steam, and we started introducing more types of honey.
“Then last year, we met a young man in Greece who is a chemical engineer, and he figured out a way to extract the blue color from the spirulina and blend it in with the raw honey.”
The Wild Thyme Honey from Laconic Foods. Photo: Laconic Foods
Manokas explained that is why they named it ‘blue honey’, as Cyano (κύανος) means dark blue in ancient Greek.
When asked how the blue honey came about, he said they originally attempted blending their orange blossom honey with the spirulina, which created the nice, light-blue-colored honey. “We then thought that the vibrant blue color would sell and be popular amongst people,” he added.
“The great thing about it is there’s nothing artificial about it. There are no added preservatives, sweeteners, or color additives, and the blue is a natural color that we extract from the spirulina, called phycocyanin.”
The Cyano blue honey drizzled on a yoghurt bowl. Photo: Laconic Foods
When Manokas was asked what the response has been like since releasing the product, he said it’s been quite positive, with people left amazed at the blue-colored honey. “It’s almost like a gimmick, and we’re not selling honey – the blue sells, if that makes sense. It is a good honey, but I have better quality honey and better-tasting honey – but the blue ‘wow’ factor, that’s what people love and find fascinating.”
Manokas’ wife, Maria Papadakis added: “Our Cyano is unique and a first of its kind because it combines two of nature’s most precious elements-raw honey and nutrient dense spirulina-into one powerful, antioxidant-rich blend.”
In addition to the Cyano honey, Laconic Foods also sells nine other flavors of raw honey, which are harvested by fourth-generation beekeepers from the Peloponnese.
“We have Wild Oak honey, Wild Thyme honey, Chestnut Blossom honey, Orange Blossom honey, Wild Arbutus honey, Wild Heather honey, Vanilla Fir honey, Wild Forest Honey, and Wildflower honey with Black Truffle,” Manokas said.
“My best honey would be the Vanilla Fir honey, which is probably our most unique – this honey never crystallizes, unlike all the other types of honey.”
The Raw Fir Vanilla from Laconic Foods. Photo: Laconic Foods
Established in 2021 Laconic Foods is a company deeply rooted in tradition, craftsmanship, and pure, clean products.
Their authentic olive oil comes from an olive grove in Geraki, a village near Sparta in southern Laconia, Greece.
Papadakis additionally explained how the response to her, and Manokas’ brand has been “brilliant to say the least.”
“We have built an awesome customer base here in the Chicagoland area and throughout the region, and our clientele has loved every single item we’ve added to our product line, including the latest with the Cyano-Honey with Spirulina,” she said.
“Our family’s business highlights authenticity, purity, and trust. So, if it’s not used in our own kitchen and amongst our families, then it is not sold on our website – simple as that.”
To find out more about Laconic Foods and their Cyano blue honey, visit their website https://laconicfoods.com.