Do you buy Catalan honey or foreign honey? The collective brand "Miel de Apicultores y Apicultoras de Cataluña" (Honey from Beekeepers of Catalonia) is born.

Barcelona"You're a producer, do you also make honey?" This was the question on everyone's lips at the presentation of the collective brand Miel de Apicultores y Apicultoras de Catalunya (MAAC), held at the Institut d'Estudis Catalans on Monday evening. One of those seeking out producers was a honey manager from the San Francisco farm, who expressed her surprise at seeing so many Catalan honeys displayed on a podium at the entrance to the event. "We've been able to make some Catalan honey a few years ago, but it's not always easy to find them," she said. Meanwhile, Àlex Sirera, president of the Association of Beekeepers and Apicultoras of Catalonia, was preparing to explain what honey is.

It is the food of bees, produced only by this insect (Apis mellifera), without an expiration date. "Only local beekeepers can guarantee that the honey is fresh, and we guarantee that the entire process is careful, that it is not heated." Hence the need for the collective brand, explained Sirera, who also added that honey from other origins reaches our markets.

Honey, at a fair price

"We've lost our trusted honey suppliers. Before, it went directly from the producer to the consumer. And that's why, because of this market situation, beekeepers now need to make Catalan honey stand out from other varieties," said Sirera. The association president added that this way, "honey can be sold at a fair price, based on costs, not market trends." "With a fair price, we can sustain our operations," he asserted. Regarding Catalan honey, the beekeepers stated that there are sweet, salty, and acidic varieties. "If we think honeys are all sweet, it means we haven't tried many different kinds," they added, noting that the vintage is another important factor. When it comes to tasting honey, the first step is to observe its appearance. The clearer it is, the earlier in the year it is. Then, shake it, and finally, smell it. Every honey smells different. There are floral honeys—like thyme honey—or acidic ones—like orange blossom honey—and then there's heather honey, which is dark in color—amber—and has a penetrating aroma of undergrowth, a feeling of autumn. Heather honey has a salty taste.

In Catalonia, approximately two million kilos of honey are produced annually, but 50% of what is sold in our markets is imported. This is due to the difficulty Catalan honey faces in reaching markets, as well as competition from the low prices of imported honeys. The collective brand aims to elevate local production and guarantee its quality. In this sense, the Chef Rafel Muria, from a family with a long tradition of honey producersHe asserts that "the honey from here is less sweet." With this seal, then, it can be positioned at the same level as other local products like wine. "Be persistent and ask for honey with the seal, because that's how the sector feels supported and protected," stated Miquel Cantó, a beekeeper from Camarasa, of Natur Apícola. Finally, the Minister of Agriculture of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Òscar Ordeig, affirmed that today was a great day for the presentation of the collective brand for Catalan honey, which will certify that it comes from 137 Catalan landscapes. The next steps the Ministry wants to take are to organize them. a competition, like the one they do with Catalan olive oilsand which is already in its second edition. "And I ask that it be present everywhere, in supermarkets, in restaurants, and in schools, where in the third term we will begin food education and explain the guarantee seals," added Ordeig, who ended the presentation by saying that "anyone who consumes Catalan honey is Catalan."

To see the list of producers affiliated with the brand, You can check the website here.