Beekeeping in Calabria: a journey through bees and honey

Beekeeping in Calabria is one of the oldest and most fascinating natural production activities, practised from the north to the south of the region thanks to the great variety of tree and flower species present in the area.

This is why Calabrian honey, among the most renowned also on the national market, is carving out an increasingly large slice of admirers.

Let's take a closer look at the world of bees in Calabria and the ancient art of beekeeping, between nature and tastings.   

Beekeeping in Calabria can be said to have begun with the very arrival of the oldest populations, documented historically and archaeologically. Beekeeping in Calabria appears as far back as Greek mythology, when the so-called ‘’nectar of the gods‘’, i.e. honey associated with other sacred foods, was valued for its nutritional, healing and cosmetic properties. Practised in close contact with nature and an indicator of the very health of the environment, beekeeping in Calabria is an integral part of the region's cultural and food heritage.

Calabrian beekeepers produce high quality honeys, among the best in Europe, with respect for sustainability: from the artisanal methods of family-run businesses to the most avant-garde processes, using strictly cold processing, beekeeping in Calabria is to all intents and purposes an art that sets the standard!    

Today, Calabria's honey production occupies a prominent position in the national panorama, favoured by its unique climate and an area rich in biodiversity: the sector's operators, organised around APROCAL (Calabrian Beekeepers), have regularly surveyed a number of hives that constitutes 9% of the national total, most of which come from excellent and organic farming contexts.

A soft, sweet and intensely scented artisan product, Calabrian honey is a simple foodstuff, present in popular cuisine in different varieties. Among the most original types of Calabrian honey, alongside the classic millefiori and chestnut, there are honeys obtained from the flowers of sulla, eucalyptus, heather, orange blossom, hawthorn and acacia, representative of the indigenous flora of Calabria, and thus capable of releasing the perfumes, flavours and colours of the territory from which they come.

It starts with the renowned Pollino Honey and moves on to the Honey of the Sila Plateau, between the provinces of Cosenza, Catanzaro and Crotone, with particular reference to the locality of Melissa (whose name, reminiscent of ‘’molasses‘/’honeydew‘’ originates precisely from the ancient activity of beekeeping in Calabria); and on to the Aspromonte Honey and the hillside and hillside varieties, such as the delicious Honey of Amaroni (CZ).   

Whether amber-coloured or golden, depending on its composition, Calabrian honey is an authentic panacea, rich in beneficial and cosmetic properties: a natural antiseptic and antioxidant, it is effective in the treatment of respiratory diseases, skin and hair. In addition to being a precious food for its benefits, included in the Mediterranean Diet, Calabrian honey is an absolute protagonist of the region's pastry and confectionery production, a basic ingredient of some of the Calabrian typical products appreciated all over the world: from Nougat of Bagnara PGI to traditional recipes for Christmas and Easter sweets.