Honey from Gran Canaria The location of this volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean gives rise to a diverse range of micro-climates, in turn favouring a unique flora comprising a wide variety of endemic plants (over 500 unique species to the Canaries and 500 in all the Macaronesia region), hence making the honey produced in Gran Canaria wholly unique around the world. The honey in Gran Canaria is produced by the Black Canary Bee, a local bee species that has adapted to our climate and which is characterised by its extraordinary production and docile nature. The physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the honey are determined by the type of nectar the bees collect, and are distinguished by two different honey types: · Monofloral: the predominance of nectar from a single floral species lends the honey some highly defined sensory characteristics, as is the case of honey made from tajinaste, tedera, pitara, barrilla and orange.
· Multifloral: These types of honey come from the nectar of several different plant species and in variable proportions. In Gran Canaria nearly 11,000 beehives exist, worked by just over 300 beekeepers. Production is closely linked to the climate and differs year on year due to prevailing amounts of rainfall. Annual production on the island totals some 90,000 kilos, yet it represents barely 30% of honey consumed, as local production is on occasions overshadowed by large volumes of imported honey. To this end, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria has stepped in to guarantee local production and its quality, with the Gran Canaria Guarantee of Quality Brand. This brand puts the accent on good practices in the handling of the beehive and the obtaining of honey, as well as the traceability of the product. All this leads to a product of maximum quality and purity. The honey under the protection of the Gran Canaria Quality Brand are subject to a “batch by batch” laboratory control in which they determine the physical, chemical and organoleptic quality and the honey’s floral origins.
Honey from Gran Canaria
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