We visited the beehives: how pure honey is made and the secrets of Aït Baamrane euphorbia honey

People often ask us: where does your honey come from? In this video we went to the apiary, and the beekeeper explained how bees work, how honey is harvested and why euphorbia honey from Aït Baamrane is famous for its quality. Afterwards we shared calf’s feet with chickpeas and tea with moringa leaves as a family.

Bees follow the flowers

The beekeeper doesn’t leave the hives in one place all year. He moves them from region to region with the flowering: spring and wild herbs, carob, thyme in the mountains and euphorbia in the south. That is why every honey has its own colour and taste: the bees gather from the flowers around them.

• Spring (wild herb) honey: the beekeeper showed us a comb of spring honey, with olive, argan and wild herb blossoms. Light and clear in colour. This is our pure wild herb honey.
• Carob honey: the apiary is surrounded by carob trees, the source of dark carob honey.
• Thyme honey: according to the beekeeper it is the most expensive, because the bees must go up to the mountains at a specific time. See pure thyme honey.

Combs and wax

Bees build combs in the hive’s wooden frames, fill them with honey and seal them with wax when it is ripe. After the harvest, the trimmed wax is melted into sheets that go back into the hive, and the bees build on them again.

Euphorbia honey from Aït Baamrane

According to the beekeeper, the Aït Baamrane region (near Sidi Ifni) is known for the best euphorbia honey. Beekeepers take their hives there during the flowering; the harvest is small in quantity but excellent in quality.

• The warmth in the throat: euphorbia contains a hot latex, which comes through in the honey’s taste.
• Keeping: the beekeeper says Aït Baamrane euphorbia honey can keep for years without spoiling if stored well.
• Crystallisation: over time it crystallises and becomes grainy like beldi soap. Many people think it contains sugar, but it is a natural process. See how to tell pure honey.

To learn more, read euphorbia honey: what is it and why is it peppery? or find pure euphorbia honey in the shop.

Lunch with the family

After the visit we sat down to calf’s feet with chickpeas cooked the traditional way, with bread from the beldi oven, and finished with tea made with moringa leaves and fruit before sunset.