Greek Honey
There is a long tradition of local honey production in Greece, with the country yielding over 12,000 tons of honey per year. Per capita, Greeks consume more honey than any other country. (You could say the country is "honey-intoxicated", which happens to be the literal translation for the ancient Greek word for "drunk". The word for drunk came about long ago when Greeks were drinking mead, a fermented honey drink first produced on Crete.) Honey is not generally bought from a mass market in Greece. Each area consumes locally made honey, produced by a farmer, a neighbor, or a friend.
Smaller producers ensure a purer product, as larger producers tend to blend honeys from different sources to make it more cost effective. Mass producers also often process their honey in order to accommodate certain packaging, increase shelf life and avoid crystallization. Unfortunately the heating process destroys many of the antioxidants and nutrients. Also keep in mind that when you buy from small honey producers, you’re a few steps closer to the person who extracted the honey from the hive’s comb, probably with a hand-cranked device. In a perfect apiarian world, only the bee, the apiarist and you should have touched your honey.
There are several countries that boast prolific honey production. Greece, among this group, happens to produce some of the finest, most complex honeys. Greece’s biodiversity is almost unparalleled, which translates to the honeybee having access to an exceptional multitude of nectars from which to feed. The abundant flora, partnered with Greece’s topography and temperate climate, are some of the reasons we might enjoy something as rich as Fir honey, for example. Fir honey is produced in the quiet village of Vytina in Arcadia, where there is an abundance of such trees, as well as in Crete. But when the bees feed off the Fir flowers, they are also stopping by maybe 40 other species of flowers. Such diverse nectar leads the bees to produce exceptionally complex, rich honey with far reaching
health benefits.
Amazing Variety
All honeys share basic healing value, but different floral sources will add particular healing properties to the mix. There are many varieties of honey made in Greece – too many to entirely list here. The most common and most consumed is Wild Thyme honey, which is only produced one month out of the year. It is extremely thick in consistency, with a fragrant, soft aroma. The flavor is a little green and woodsy, with a flower finish. It has strong antiseptic value, as well as benefits for the upper respiratory and digestive tracts. Wild Thyme with Flowers is similar, though lighter in flavor and softer in scent. You should note that when a honey is characterized as coming from a mixed source, like Wild Flower honey, which is enjoyably light in color and flavor, that’s probably code for a product whose nectar source can’t be readily determined. But mixed source honey can sometimes produce complexity, as well as multiple medicinal benefits. (I once tasted a honey that came from the Asiago forests of Italy. It was so pungent I felt as if I were walking in fragrant, damp mountains.) Pine is also very popular, with a mellow, yet green aroma. The flavor is clear and bold and astringent. Slightly reminiscent of pinesap, it has diuretic properties. Chestnut honey, which comes from Volos, is produced twice a year and is the least sweet of all the varieties I tasted. Its aroma is the same as its flavor: arresting and bitter, so bold you forget the lack of sweetness, making quite a departure from the usual honey experience. It can benefit circulation.
It took me a little while to identify Orange Blossom honey, which has healing properties for migraines and gastritis. After several days, the citrus overtones came right out at me, followed by the sweetness. I’ve been told that Heather honey is one of the less popular in Greece, as it’s one of the sweeter honeys. (The Greeks tend to prefer more complex tastes.) Heather honey actually starts out a little green and woodsy right at the top, but then finishes as the sweetest of the bunch. Heather honey has a high iron content, and is believed to alleviate rheumatism.
Considering the source, Fir of Vytina honey is gentler than what you might imagine.
Its aroma is soft, while neither sweet, nor woodsy. It’s very high in minerals and vitamins, and beneficial to both the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.
The flavor is medium in strength, pungent, deep and serious. But it’s the color that sets it apart. The beauty of the hue alone might heal you. The jar of Fir of Vytina that I have looks as though it were mixed with gold dust. It glistens in the light, and the sheen coupled with its dense texture makes this honey one of my two favorites.
My other favorite honey is the comb honey. I’ve never bought comb honeys before since their natural packaging limits their use. But after digging in with a spoon I soon discovered one of the richest flavors of the group. The honey melts away, leaving the wax comb as a chewing gum of sorts. Beeswax, by the way, is secreted from the worker bees’ bellies, another fact which reminds me I should be honored to be enjoying such a labor of love.
Whipped honey, or creamed honey is a favorite since it can be spread like butter.
The process of "whipping" or "creaming" means that the honey is crystallized in a controlled manner to ensure the texture. Whipping is different than natural crystallization, which is spontaneous. Natural crystallization can be reversed simply by gently heating the honey until it returns to its original form. The honey will remain clear for quite some time. Be careful not to use a high heat though, or you might destroy some of the beneficial properties the bees so carefully created.
A note for honey tasters: when you’re trying out a wonderful honey, the flavor comes through best if you taste it with a wooden or ceramic spoon. The taste of honey coming off of metal is altered a little, and it adulterates the experience. You could also use your fingers, but don’t say I told you so.
Our Daily Honey
Honey has her place in Greece, and can be found at any time of day, almost anywhere. In the morning you could enjoy delicious fresh plain Greek yogurt with honey drizzled on top, where the cold of the yogurt hardens the honey so that it’s almost chewy, becoming a candy.
Many Greek baked items use honey as a syrup. Walk in to town to visit a bakery and find so many choices: baklava, the classic dessert made with phyllo and pistachio nuts; galaktoboureko, a custard filled phyllo with honey, delicate, creamy, syrupy; theepless, a honey-dipped fried batter; melomakarona, a Christmas essert; loukoumades, Greek donuts made with Thyme honey; as well as honey pie and honey cake. In the evening you might have some dates stewed with wine and honey, an ancient recipe.
And Greek Mountain Tea and Wild Thyme honey all throughout the day to keep you well.
So the next time you are buying honey, remember the supreme effort that has gone into the gift. Consider the world of benefits from nature’s sweetener. And even though you can’t pay your taxes with it, perhaps tomorrow morning when you open your honey jar to spread some on morning toast, say a little thank you to the Apis Mellifera.
