Spanish honey
It is an ancestral product, but it is not always one of the favorites in the shopping basket. And yet the range of honeys in our country is very wide. Spain has a very extensive beekeeping culture that is interesting to learn about, so much so that it is worth remembering that it is the country with the largest number of beehives. And as in other national productive sectors, beekeepers know how to get the best out of their operations, and the result is a product of the highest quality.
Recognition of our honey
It must be acknowledged that this is a product that has done its homework internationally, because although these are very artisanal products, external demand keeps growing. Its prestige increases day by day not only in recognitions and awards, but also in demand for production abroad. But there is a downside. What succeeds abroad does not succeed in the domestic market. Incredible but true. Quite the opposite of other products that struggle to find an outlet but are highly demanded at home. And it's not that little honey is consumed here, but that we consume non-Spanish honey; once again the good stuff goes abroad and it is hard for us to taste it here. The
Made in Spain triumphs abroad but here we don't appreciate it.
What is Spanish honey like?
In Spain we have different types of honey because each area where they are produced has different orographic characteristics, although their properties and flavor are of the highest level, and they are very popular across Europe.
How Spanish beekeepers work has a lot to do with this: they have known how to pass this wonderful craft down through generations. Honey production has not seen many innovations in terms of extraction; rather, they continue to use artisanal extraction methods. However, without the bees we have in Spain, none of this would be possible. This is another factor we should protect for the future if we want to continue producing top-quality honey.
Representative honeys of Spain
In that general context, among the
different Spanish honeys we should highlight
Mediterranean honey for its particularities. It stands out for its smoothness. It comes from
orange blossom or rosemary. These are typical of regions of eastern Spain. Therefore, the honeys from the Valencian Community or Murcia are very aromatic, delicate and easy to digest.
However, in other parts of the country we can find excellent types that come from
mountainous or wooded areas. For example,
chestnut, heather, acacia and eucalyptus honey from areas such as Galicia or Asturias.
From the southern peninsula,
thyme, wildflower, orange blossom, lavender and bramble (blackberry) honeys stand out.
Honeys with identity: Alemany Honeys
Within the whole universe of this product in Spain there are honeys that take pride in having their
own identity. These are the ones that have obtained the
Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) or Protected Geographical Indication (IGP). These distinctions recognize the unique qualities of that honey, which is linked to a specific geographic environment or to human factors, among several of the indicators considered.
In
MadeinSpain.store we have selected
Alemany 1879, from the
Montsec (Lérida), which has specialized in monofloral honeys that are collected from the area’s beekeepers. Innovation at Alemany brings the concept of value-added honey in its gourmet honey line. After five generations, they continue as on the first day, doing things excellently. Alemany honey has been recognized with the
Great Taste Awards on different occasions, an accolade considered the Oscars of the gourmet food world.
Other top honeys in Spain
Noteworthy is the
La Alcarria honey, which originates between the provinces of Guadalajara and Cuenca. It is the most famous because it was the first to obtain its Protected Designation of Origin. Also well known is the
DOP Miel de Liébana, in Cantabria. Others with this seal are the honey of
Granada,
Tenerife and
Villuercas-Ibores, in the province of Cáceres. On the other hand, the only one with an IGP is that of
Galicia.
We must finish this overview by naming the most expensive honey in Europe, from the
Cooperativa Apícola del Bierzo and produced in the Leonese town of Camponaraya. As we can see, the prestige of
Spanish honey commands a price because it is a product of enormous quality. It is worth enjoying its excellence, properties and flavor.