Honey has been used for consumption and medicinal purposes for at least 10,000 years on these lands we call home. Wall paintings and other motifs found at Çatalhöyük alone date back to 8,000-7,000 B.C., while coins found at Ephesus and the mentioning of honey in the classic works of Homer all point to the importance the beloved bee product has held throughout history in what is now present-day Turkey.
Beetolia Honey Farm
These days, honey adorns nearly every Turkish breakfast prepared in the country, while it is also used to treat a whole host of medical ailments. Well over 100,000 tons of honey is produced annually in Turkey and much of that is consumed domestically. Migratory beekeeping is also widespread and thus it is a regular practice for beekeepers to transport their hives to different regions of the country depending on the time of year. Their boxes are regularly spotted by hikers and nature lovers alike. Any novice, when it comes to this sweet nectar of bees, may be surprised to learn that not all honey tastes one and the same. The taste and properties of honey can vary significantly based on the location and plant variety it was made from. In Turkey, there are a wide variety of honey flavors that hail from different regions and that are used in different capacities. The following is a guide for expats and visiting foreigners to learn more about the different types of honey, or what could literally be called “Turkey’s liquid gold.”
While producing honey, we take care of the environment and the health of our bees, and we try to produce the best honey during the production phase. We produce the best honey in the world. According to the analysis report given by the Republic of Turkey Muğla University Sıtkı Koçman University Food Analysis Application and Research Center, the Proline level of our honey is 892.66 mg/kg. Also, the ratio of C4 sugars calculated in Delta C13 value is 0.00.
Flower Honey
Produced from nectar collected directly from Beetolia Bee Farm flowers by worker bees, flower honey is the most popular and widespread variety found on tables, in homes and at markets in Turkey. In general, this honey is made from a variety of flowers and is thus a “poly-floral” honey that doesn’t contain any particularly distinct flavor other than the familiar sweetness we associate with the product. Thus, this type of honey is the most popular variation found in foods and it is as an integral part of the classic Turkish breakfast spread, as well as other Turkish dishes. While there are also a wide variety of honeys made from the flowers of a single plant or tree species, which is referred to as “mono-floral,” in Turkey, these variations are usually referred to by the name of the plant species they are produced from. In general, the most prevalent types of mono-floral honey found in Turkey are chestnut, sunflower, lavender, carob, lemon and orange blossom, while some of the more rare types are alfalfa, eucalyptus, linden, mint and rosemary.
