Acacia honey
One of the more expensive types of honey and one of the most popular types of honey has been acacia honey for many years. This blog post will tell you more about acacia honey.
Where does acacia honey come from? Acacia honey is nectar from the Robinia pseudoacacia. This tree blooms abundant in the last weeks of May and early June after the fruit trees have bloomed. The Robinia pseudoacacia is not native to Hungary or Europe, it is a tree from North America. It is a very fast grower, partly due to the symbiosis with nitrogen-binding bacteria. Here in Hungary, the tree has acquired great economic value through the qualities of the hardwood, one of the hardest and most durable from Europe, and the huge amount of acacia honey collected by the honey bees.
As a supporter of permaculture, we love the Robinia pseudoacacia. The tree attracts a lot of pollinators, birds, other wild live and nitrogen-loving plants. The tree is an excellent pioneer plant that can be used to transform a lost, pitted field into a lush young forest within a single decade. One of the most valuable features, however, is the period of flowering, which occurs in a period where a few other plants bloom. This makes the tree of enormous importance, not only for honey bees. Also for solitary bees, bumblebees, butterflies and other pollinators, which in turn attract a lot of birds.
The tree is as unique as the nectar. Acacia honey has a very high fructose content, which keeps the honey liquid for so long. The subtle honey flavor makes the honey suitable for almost everyone. The honey also contains a large amount of antioxidants. Be careful not to buy heated honey, as the antioxidants are almost completely lost then.
High quality, pure acacia honey is unfortunately difficult to find. Because it is a hugely popular product, the price is relatively high and creative ways have been found to make use of this. It gets mixed with sugar water and heated far above 35 degrees for quick and easy processing. The origin of the honey is usually particularly blurry. This is because answering the demand has become far more important than a fair product of quality.
Have you never consumed this special honey or are you looking for an honest acacia honey? Check out our webshop and discover our acacia honey.
Team Vicus Apis.