Chestnut honey is obtained from the blossoms of chestnut trees, the natural vegetation of the Eastern Black Sea region, in early summer (May-June). Chestnut honey, or bitter honey as it is popularly known, as its name suggests, has a bitter taste, a darker color, and a strong odor compared to other honeys. Although chestnut honey is produced in many provinces of Turkey, the most well-known and highest quality is the chestnut honey produced around Artvin. Chestnut honey, once produced in black hives set atop tall trees, has been replaced by traditional hives with the development of beekeeping and the spread of professional beekeeping. As chestnut honey becomes more and more popular and consumed each year, its value has increased and it has begun to find more space on shelves.Chestnut honeyAlthough there is demand from all over the country for chestnut honey, many people have not yet tasted it. Chestnut honey is a type of honey that piques everyone's curiosity, but when consumed, it may not be to everyone's taste because many of us think honey should be very sweet. In fact, this is where the difference of chestnut honey becomes apparent: its color, smell, and taste are all unique and distinct from others. Considering chestnut honey as just another honey would be unfair. Besides being consumed as a breakfast honey, chestnut honey is often used as a medicinal honey and has benefits for many known illnesses.
Chestnut HoneyIts production may not be productive every year because weather conditions are the most important factor in chestnut honey production. If you've prepared your bee colonies well for the chestnut blossom season and entered the season with strong colonies, all that's left is favorable weather conditions. Chestnut blossoms begin producing honey about a week after they open. This means the bees first pollinate the chestnut blossoms before they begin collecting nectar. Chestnut honey production takes place over a period of approximately one month. For productive production, the weather must be neither too rainy nor too dry. Otherwise, either rain washes away the chestnut blossom's nectar or drought causes the blossoms to wither before being honeyed. The short and challenging production season for chestnut honey results in low yields, which in turn drives prices for chestnut honey higher than other types of honey.
Chestnut honeyBesides being produced in various provinces of our country, it is also produced extensively in the coastal districts of Rize and Artvin, particularly in the district of Borçka. Among these, Borçka chestnut honey is the most well-known. The villages of Borçka produce many different types of honey with different flavors. Among this richness, stemming from the diverse vegetation of the villages, the most prominent honeys are Macahel honey and Balci honey. In Artvin, Papart honey from Savsat and Kaba honey from Murgul stand out. The plant diversity that creates these differences also increases the quality of the honey produced.
The most significant problem faced by our beekeepers, who produce chestnut honey, and companies like us that produce and market honey from the Black Sea region, is that our honey is being mixed with honey imported into our country through uncontrolled and illegitimate means. Significant amounts of honey are imported from our neighboring country, Georgia, and this honey is marketed nationwide under the name Artvin or Borçka Chestnut Honey. Counterfeit honey from Georgia taints our famously natural honey. At BAL ÇESMESI, we advise our customers to ask for the business number if the supplier is a beekeeper, and for the analysis results and production permit if the supplier is a company.
Chestnut honeyIt is known to be beneficial for many ailments, including asthma and bronchitis, as well as stomach, intestinal, and respiratory tract infections, colds, headaches, and stomach aches. Besides being consumed medicinally, chestnut honey can also be consumed for breakfast, with milk, pollen, and royal jelly, or in syrup form. There's a common misconception about chestnut honey: the belief that consuming too much is harmful. However, like any honey, there's no harm in consuming as much as desired. Although chestnut honey has a fluid consistency at room temperature, like all honey, it can crystallize. However, unlike other honeys, it may freeze after a longer period of time, or it may not freeze at all, rather than within a few months.
Why BAL ÇESMESI for chestnut honey?
As with all honey, trust is the most important criterion for chestnut honey. Buying honey from the producer is the safest and easiest way. At BAL ÇESMESI, we produce and market our own chestnut honey. We produce our own products.
