The fundamental difference is the flavor profile. Fruit jams taste like the fruit they're made from — sweet, tart, sometimes jammy. Honey varies by floral source but is generally floral, fruity, or earthy. Maple syrup is woody-caramel with vanilla notes. Cedar cone syrup tastes like the forest: resinous, balsamic, slightly turpentine-like in a culinary sense, with a woody depth that lingers. The lemon juice adds a clean citrus edge that prevents it from feeling cloying.
Texture-wise, it's a syrup with whole or halved cones suspended in it, so you get both the infused liquid and the softened cone pieces to eat. The cones themselves are edible — they soften during cooking and have a chewy, jam-like consistency with concentrated flavor.
Culturally, this is a traditional Siberian and Northern Russian pantry item, historically made in season and stored for winter. It's not an everyday sweetener like honey or sugar; it's used in small amounts as a flavor accent — a spoonful in tea, a drizzle on porridge — to bring a specific regional character to the table. The cones also contain natural essential oils and resins that give the syrup its distinctive aroma, which you simply don't get from fruit or tree sap products.
If you're looking for a direct substitute for honey on toast or sugar in baking, this isn't it. It's a specialty preserve for when you want that specific coniferous, forest-floor flavor experience.