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Why Greek Honey ? Greece in terms of apicultural interest,is a country with unique singularities and great apicultural tradition and know-how:
It is placed among one of the wealthiest in biodiversity countries in vegetation with a significant percentage of indigenous plants that we cannot find anywhere else in the world (it is calculated that 18% of our country’s entire plant life is indigenous).If we take into account the relatively small size of plantation square coverage of our country the above number are impressive.
Our climate varies form dry-hot to moist and rainy,with relatively mild
winters and rather large periods of sunshine in the greatest part of our country.In other words the climatic conditions are ideal for the development of apiculture.
The geographical landscape constantly changes form valleys and
fields to hills,mountains and islands,a pattern that is very difficult to find in other countries.
The biodiversity of plantation where in many cases,plants & trees from different terrains co-exists in the same regions,thus giving the honey you collect special flavors and odors.
The rather high level of experience & expertise that Greek beekeepers carry and pass on,from generation to generation while continuously improving and developing their skills.
The combination of the above characteristics of the rich Greek nature with the wonderful organism that we know as bee gives us varieties of honey of exquisite quality with unique features and taste that are appreciated and recognised worldwide.
Having stated the positive aspects of grrek nature in combination with the Greek know-how that provides us with the unique Greek honey there are also some disadvantages that raise the cost of production of Greek honey in comparison with the other countries ,something that you can see in its higher price :
Most of the areas that the biggest part of Greek honey is collected,are hard to reach, with poorly constructed dirt roads and far from civilisation because of the geographical characteristics of the greek countryside having as a result higher-costs in fuel and wear and tear of the beekeepers’s vehicles.
Rarely can an area hold a permanent apicultural unit,since almost all the apiculturals plants of our country are not found in the same region,have different periods of nectar excretions or honeydews that rarelly exceed a month.
The result is that a professional beekeeper is constantly on the lookout for new apicultural areas in order to be able to have a good production and that has the cost of big travel expenses ,reduced productivity ,loss of bees etc.
Having studied all of the above,one can have a general picture of the uniqueness and differentiation of the Greek honey.
Due to the island’s dry climate and volcanic soil, wildflowers bloom only briefly in winter and spring, so the bees of Santorini mainly feed on crops like fava beans, grapevines and pistachio trees, as well as wild thyme and oregano.
However, at the end of the summer, the bees of Santorini feast on a very special crop. Courtesy of the makers of the island’s sweet wine (vinsanto), tons of wine grapes are left out in the sun to mature, letting the bees indulge on their sucrose. This grape honey, with its uniquely and intensely local flavour is added near the end of the brewing process, to ensure that its flavour is fully preserved.
Today, only a handful of families still engage in beekeeping.
Thyme honey
Greek thyme honey is by far the best of its kind and thus it is the most popular among customers. It is produced in the Aegean islands and Santorini it is considered to be of higher quality. Its color is amber and the taste is the distinctive thyme one, slightly burning throat taste.
Our thyme honey has won three awards in blind-tasting competitions, has created loyal fans and – traditionally - satisfies every demanding palate.
! It is known for its stimulative, antiseptic and antibacterial properties. It can have a preventive role against cardiovascular diseases and it can be a natural remedy for bladder infections and digestive disorders.
