The quality of honey is mainly determined by the environment in which the honey is produced. Judging the quality of the nectar source, there are seven international gold indicators: latitude 33-38 degrees, altitude 1 km to 3 km, suitable and stable temperature, relative humidity 70-90%, long light time, mountainous terrain, good ecological environment Wait.
The following 10 most famous honey sources and representative honey varieties in the world (in no particular order), there is no doubt that the places that honey likes are the places where the birds and flowers are fragrant, the scenery is beautiful, and the natural environment is superior!
1. China, famous honey varieties: acacia, lychee, vitex and jujube
my country is the country with the largest honey production in the world, and was also the country with the largest honey export volume in the world. This is due to the vast territory of our country, and at the same time, there are abundant nectar plants for bees to collect and brew honey.
In terms of geographical location, Tianshui, Gansu is the best nectar source in China, the only region in China that meets the seven indicators of international golden nectar sources, and the birthplace of China’s bee industry.
Tianshui is not only the hometown of Jiang Qi, the originator of Chinese beekeeping, but also has unique natural conditions. Tianshui is adjacent to the Weishui River in the north and Jialing in the south, and spans the two major river basins of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. The warm temperate and subtropical transitional monsoon climate moistens the mysterious and magnificent water and soil. From the ditch to the ridge, acacia forms a three-dimensional nectar source with a flowering period of up to 40 days, and the lush vegetation constitutes a key nectar production area in the northwest with a flowering period of up to 7 months and a pulp production period of 6 months. Tianshui is the place where the west line of my country’s four major bee-release routes must pass.
Among the many varieties of honey in my country, there are four kinds of honey that are very good in terms of yield and quality. Acacia honey, lychee honey, vitex honey and jujube honey are known as the four famous honeys, also known as the four kings honey. The more famous ones are linden honey from Northeast China and snow lotus honey from Yunnan and Guizhou.
2. Argentina’s most famous honey: eucalyptus honey
Argentina’s annual honey output is about 80,000 tons. It is one of the world’s major honey producers and the world’s largest honey exporter; it is the main competitor of China’s honey export; it is also the most developed beekeeping industry in South America, with the highest annual honey output and export. The country with the largest volume of honey, the most important export honey types are eucalyptus honey, citrus honey and alfalfa nectar.
Argentina is known as the “granary and meat warehouse of the world”. It is located in the southeastern part of South America. The vast grasslands in the east and the mountains in the west form a huge climate difference. The Gran Chaco Plain in the north has a humid subtropical climate, and the Pampas in the center The steppe has a subtropical and tropical desert climate, and the southern port has a temperate continental climate. The distribution of nectar plants in the country is based on geographical location and climate environment: the main nectar source in Tucuman Province is lemon trees; the main nectar source in Santiago del Estero is Anacardiaceae hardwood; the main nectar source in Salta Province includes jujube trees, hardwoods, and quitons. , mint, thorn wood, carob and purple violet, elderberry, eucalyptus, clover, rape, motherwort, white-backed goldenrod, ghost needle grass, mallow and other medicinal plants; the pampas grassland is Argentina’s largest honey-producing plant province, where a large number of nectar plant species such as eucalyptus and wild thistle grow.
The history of beekeeping in Argentina has been more than 400 years (including the colonial period), and there are about 3 million bee colonies. They use advanced beekeeping machines for professional breeding, which improves the quality of bee colonies and honey.
3. New Zealand, famous variety: Manuka honey
New Zealand has many nectar plants, mainly clover, Christmas tree, kiwifruit and Manuka. Manuka is a unique myrtle shrub in New Zealand. At the end of each year, it is summer in New Zealand. On this pure land of the South Pacific, the sun is shining, the climate is pleasant, and the snow-white Manuka flowers are in full bloom in the wind. Its blooming flowers attract swarms of bees to collect the nectar to make the unique Manuka honey.
It has strong and unique antibacterial and antioxidative ability, and has the ability to destroy bacteria. It has the ability to better treat body wounds and promote natural healing of wounds, especially in the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Canadian Honey Famous Varieties: Clover Honey
Canada is sparsely populated and has a superior natural environment. It is the country with the highest honey yield per unit in the world, and the average annual honey output per colony of bees in the country is more than 50 kilograms. The bees raised in Canada were imported from Europe, mainly Italian and Caucasian bees. The main nectar plants in agricultural and pastoral areas are white clover, red clover, hybrid clover, grass roots and alfalfa. The nectar sources in the forest area are mainly linden, willow, willow orchid and fruit trees.
Canadian honey is a single flower source honey product. The so-called single flower source means that the bees eat one kind of flower and collect the nectar from the same kind of flower. Such honey is not easy to deteriorate, does not require refrigeration, is slow to collect, has a cumbersome process, and has the highest nutritional value.
Half of the honey produced in Canada is exported, with about 80% going to the United States, followed by Japan and Germany. A small amount is exported to China, but there is a growing trend in recent years.
5. Italian honey source, famous variety: chestnut honey
Italian bees are not only the largest bee colony species in China, but also dominate the global beekeeping industry. Native to the Apennine Peninsula in Italy. The origin of the Mediterranean climate and the conditions of the nectar are characterized by: short, warm and humid winters; hot and dry summers and long flowering periods. Under the natural conditions similar to the above, Italian bee can show good economic characters.
Italian bees are suitable for collecting relatively large nectar source plants, and the yield is relatively high. Most of them are single nectar, and most of the nectar tastes better, especially for infants and the infirm.
The Lunigiana region of Italy, which straddles the regions of Tuscany and Liguria, is the first honey to be certified by the European Union PDO (Protected Designation of Origin). Sophora japonica honey and chestnut honey are the oldest and most honeyed honeys here. The status of chestnut nectar in Italy is what Champagne is in France. Sophora japonica honey is very sweet, with a touch of soft acidity, but not bitter, with a subtle vanilla aroma; chestnut honey has a reddish hue and a deep, deep aroma.
6. Germany famous variety: Black Forest honey
Germany’s Black Forest is a famous health resort and the core source of honey in Germany. The Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald) is the largest forest mountain range in Germany, located in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. To the west and south of the Black Forest is the Rhine Valley, and the highest peak is the Feldberg at 1493 meters above sea level.
Most of the Black Forest is covered with pine and fir trees, part of which is an economic forest. The reason why people call it “Black Forest” is because the forests in the forest area on the mountain are densely covered, and it looks dark from a distance.
There is a type of honey called forest honey or tree honey. Trees also produce sugar in order to survive, and insects dig holes in the tree and absorb the sugar in the tree as their own food. Tree honey is collected from the sugars of trees. In particular, there is a large black forest in southwestern Germany. The forest honey here is very popular and the price is very expensive. In terms of grade, it is the highest quality honey. In northern Germany, there is a type of honey called Wilderness Honey, which is collected from the lower tree and red-flowered heather in autumn. This honey is also very popular.
7. American honey Famous varieties: blueberry honey, dogwood honey
The United States is located in the central part of North America, most of which are located in temperate and subtropical mountains and plains, with diverse climate types and rich materials. There are about 2,000 kinds of nectar plants. But the main nectar plants are only alfalfa, white clover, hybrid clover, white vanilla clover, yellow vanilla clover, asters, goldenrod, ghost needle grass, sage, willow orchid, pine, sea oleifera, acid 100 species of wood, purple tree, citrus, cotton and soybean.
The United States is one of the countries with the most developed beekeeping industry, the most advanced beekeeping technology and the most common use of bees for pollination in the world. However, affected by adverse climatic conditions, the production of honey in North American countries has declined year-on-year. In 2011, the honey production in the United States was about 67,000 tons. The use of pesticides caused the number of bees in the United States to plummet, and the number of bee colonies was about 249. Thousands or so.
Blueberry honey from Maine or Michigan, or dogwood honey from northern Florida and Georgia, all mirror the local terroir in color, aroma and flavor.
Honey from the white Ogizi dogwood flowers along the Ogizi River in Florida, USA, has a unique feature, pure dogwood honey does not crystallize, which is different from other honeys.
8. Turkey, famous variety: pine honey
Turkey spans two continents, Asia and Europe. Most of the whole territory is the Anatolian Plateau, and it has a subtropical Mediterranean climate. There are more than 10,000 kinds of honey source plants in Turkey, the main varieties are rapeseed, locust, linden, cotton, heather and so on. The Anatolian plateau at an altitude of 2200-2800 meters is rich in Anzel honey, which has a unique smell and color, and has special effects on lung diseases, gastrointestinal diseases and skin diseases.
Turkey produces 90% of the world’s pine honey and has a huge following. When pests suck the sap from pine trees, they leave behind a sweet secretion that bees collect and turn into pine honey. This pine honey is expensive, has the darkest color compared to other honeys, and still retains rosin.
9. Russia Famous variety: linden honey
Russia used to be one of the world’s major beekeeping countries and the only country in the world to maintain the ancient special industry of wild honey harvesting. Russia is located in the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of the Asian continent. It is dominated by a temperate continental climate and has the world’s largest forest reserves and various nectar plants. Linden and locust are the most productive nectar plants in Russia
Linden honey is the best in Russia. The Russian Far East and Siberia have some of the best linden forests in the world. This is unique in the world. The same linden honey is more than twice as expensive in Russia as in China.
10. Spanish and French honey sources, representative: heather honey, lavender honey
Spain is a country rich in resources, with an annual output of about 33,000 tons of honey, but it can only meet the domestic demand for honey. The main production areas are the AOC and Castilla la Mancha, but they are also the main wine-producing areas.
France’s Burgundy and Bordeaux are world-famous for their wines and are tied for the two top quality wine-producing regions in France. But these two wine-producing regions are also the two largest honey-producing regions in France. In addition, the honey-producing area of France also has the Rhône production area, which is a low-key and rich place with rich honey-source plants.
Among them, heather can be seen everywhere in Europe. Although it is called heather, there are more than 600 species, and the colors are white, yellow, red, purple, etc., and its vitality is tenacious. This honey not only has a unique flavor, but also has a darker color than buckwheat honey. There is a spell. The taste is a combination of sweet and astringent, and the aftertaste is long-lasting. So some people like this honey, and some people don’t like it. Its flowers are rich in arbutin, which has an inhibitory effect on pigmentation, so it is very attractive to women who love beauty.
