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Ethiopia is Africa’s top honey producer and the 10th largest in the world. From Ethiopia’s honey, a considerable amount of beeswax is also produced. Honey is produced by the common bee known scientifically as Apis mellifera.There a strong tradition of honey bee farming in Ethiopia.  About 80 % of the total honey produced goes to the preparation of a well-known traditional alcoholic drink called Tej. Due to the presence of diverse flora and fauna, each region of Ethiopia produces a unique variety of honey. The white honey from Tigrai is produced in localities where blossoms of Becium grandiflorum (NDA2869) are found in abundance.  This plant flowers throughout the year but particularly after the short rains.   The white honey of Sidamo is from the Geteme flowers (Schefflera abyssinica NDA 1670). Other honey producing trees and shrubs include Vernonia amygdalina (Grawa), Eucalyptus globulus (Bahir Zaf)), Opuntia ficus-indica (Qulqwal), Cordia africana (Wanza), Syzygium guineense (Doqrna), Hagenia abyssinica (Koso), Acacia senegal (Sbansa-Grar), etc. Botanical information on each of these species can be found by searching in Natural Database for Africa [www.alnapnetwork.com].  Conservation and planting of these species increase Ethiopia’s honey production.  

Honey is a sweet and viscous product made by bees after ingesting the nectar of flowers. Honey comprises mainly carbohydrates, fructose, and glucose, which together make up nearly 70%, followed by about 20% water, and small amounts of an array of substances such as sucrose (0 – 2%), and traces of heavy metals, proteins (0.3%), ascorbic acid, flavonoids, enzymes, vitamins, etc. There is more fructose (38%) than glucose (31%) in honey, while sucrose, which is dominant in sugar cane, is found in honey only in trace amounts. Compared to water, honey has a high refractive index (about 1.5) and high viscosity.  Its specific gravity is about 1.4, a characteristic of honey that can be used in quality control. Its color varies from light brown to dark depending on the nectar the bees feed on, the season, and production details such as if heat is used during processing, etc.  Heating honey accelerates the production of undesirable substances. Another interesting phenomenon is the fact that honey is quite acidic with an average pH of 4. We sometimes fail to notice its relatively strong acidic nature because its high sugar content masks its acidity. Gluconic acid (2,3,4,5,6-penta-hydroxyhexanoic acid) is the main acid followed by acetic, butyric, citric, formic, lactic, malic, oxalic, and succinic acids.

The quality of honey gradually deteriorates on long-standing, poor storage conditions, and warm temperatures. This is because carbohydrates, in particular fructose, gradually degrade to HMF (5- hydroxymethylfurfural). High HMF content indicates honey of poor quality. The European Union (EU Directive I 10/200 I) considers honey with HMF greater than 80 mg/kg as hazardous to health. African countries that intend to export honey should develop the capacity to monitor levels of HMF and other honey constituents. A man-made problem that affects honey’s quality is the addition of adulterants to maximize profit. Among the common adulterants of honey are sucrose and corn syrup. If the analysis of honey shows the presence of sucrose greater than 2%, it is most likely that the honey has been tampered with.  

Tazmamar  or Stingless Bee Honey (Trigona honey) is another type of honey, produced by “stingless bees”  (belonging to the Melipona and Trigona species. These bees are found mainly in the wild  in South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa  and produce a unique natural product known as “stingless bee honey” (Tazma Mar in Amharic). Domestication of these bees has not yet been successful because they are so diverse and elusive in nature and also difficult to catch and domesticate. They build their hives underground or  in tree trunks, and house wall cracks. The most common Ethiopian species is the one that builds its hive underground. The stingless bee honey (SBH) supply in the world market is limited partly because knowledge about this product is scant. However, SBH is regarded with high esteem as traditional medicine and nutritious food. In Ethiopia Tazma Mar is one of the most popular home remedies. The moisture content in SBH is ca. 30%, while that of regular honey is less than 20%. This explains why SBH is thinner than regular honey. Both types of honey contain around 30% fructose and glucose and both are slightly acidic in nature. The acidity helps curb the growth of microorganisms thus ensuring  long shelf life.