In botany, rhododendron symbolizes elegance.

Rhododendron honey is a rare crop. Yet it is the dominant flower high mountains but it’s usually found mixed with other flowers.

In fact, mountain rhododendron only grows at altitudes of 1500 meters and above. This makes it a rare honey in its purest form. This shrub can grow to almost a metre in height. It is found mainly in the Alps and the Pyrenees. Rhododendron is an extremely melliferous flower, and when the conditions are right, bees gather the abundant nectar it produces. Our local beekeeper then harvests this precious nectar, which the bees have deposited in the honeycomb. Rhododendron honey is harvested from late July to early September.

The taste and flavour of rhododendron honey:

Its fragrance is soft and subtle. Its flavor is delicate and slightly perfumed. Its crystallization is very fine, its aroma subtle and light.

It appeals to fans of acacia honeys, although it’s likely to be thick or creamy. That said, you can always make it liquid by putting it in a bain-marie for a few minutes. In beekeeping, it’s called mountain acacia of the mountains!

Its shelf life is excellent.

The properties of rhododendron honey :

It is said to be diuretic. In fact, it contains numerous trace elements present in a balanced way. It is recognized for its restorative and anti-rheumatic properties. In apitherapy, rhododendron honey is recommended for patients undergoing chemotherapy. In fact, ingesting one tablespoon a day can help reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.

Did you know?

In Nepal, where the rhododendron flower is the national emblem, bees produce honey with hallucinogenic properties. Nepalese rhododendrons can reach 15 to 30 meters in height. The nectar from these flowers is gorged with andromedotoxin, a neurotoxin which, if consumed in large quantities, has hallucinogenic effects, causes nausea and alters the heartbeat. Soldiers of the ten-thousand-strong Greek army who consumed honey from a village surrounded by rhododendron are reported to have behaved strangely: all those who consumed it lost their strength, their reason and had diarrhoea! This lasted 24 hours!

 

Of course, it’s not the same species found in the Alps, so we can enjoy our rhododendron honey in peace!