Beekeeping
Begnigna Mariarosa

The acacia or black locust is undoubtedly the most widely known and appreciated in Italy. It is the most widespread monofloral quality. The main characteristic of this type of honey lies in the high fructose content, which is the basis of the low tendency to crystallize and the high sweetening power. It has a sweet and delicate flavour, an excellent substitute for sugar. From a compositional point of view, it is also characterized by its low content of mineral salts, enzymes and acidity. The harvest of acacia honey takes place in May.

The  chestnut is a plant that can reach 30 meters in height, forming large forests in the Alps and Apennines. Chestnut honey is today one of the most used honeys in cooking and paired with especially mature cheeses (pecorino, goats), but also with ricotta. Its peculiarity is its bitter taste. The chestnut honey harvest takes place between June and July.

Buckwheat is a particular type of plant which, due to its nutritional characteristics and food use, has always been commercially placed among cereals. The production of buckwheat in Italy has gradually decreased as it is unprofitable, but it is becoming available and appreciated again as it is gluten-free. The taste of buckwheat honey is intense, with a delicate bitter aftertaste. The buckwheat honey harvest takes place in August.

Honeydew is a sugary secretion emitted by insects that feed on plant sap. It is the only honey that is not produced from flower nectar. Widely used by athletes due to its high mineral salt content.

Honey from different varieties of botanical sources with aromas coming from different flowers. It is a mixture of many different nectars collected by bees in the same period of time, each of these mixtures is unique depending on the progress of the season, which may have been more or less dry, humid, cool, hot, windy.

The flower from which the nectar is obtained, also known as dandelion, blooms at the beginning of spring, coloring fields and meadows with the typical bright yellow color. Characterized by its low fructose content, it crystallizes very quickly.

The wild lime tree In Italy it is present throughout the peninsula, but more frequent in the central-northern regions and reaches up to 1500 metres. Honey is produced both in the Alps and in urban or suburban areas, on cultivated lime trees. The harvest of lime honey takes place between May and July.

Pollen is very rich in protein substances and for this reason represents an important food source for the hive ecosystem. It is therefore an excellent food supplement, especially protein. The color shades range from light yellow to dark brown depending on the harvest period.