Yemeni honey varieties

Yemenis have been engaged in beekeeping and honey production since ancient times, and Yemen was regarded three thousand years ago as the home of spices and honey. Yemeni honey comes in many different varieties, each with its features and benefits based on its constituents, beekeeping areas, and the trees it feeds.

Dr Salim Al-Aghbari attributes the distinctiveness of Yemeni honey and its variety of colours to various factors, including the uniqueness of the Yemeni bee with characteristics not found in others, as well as the climatic diversity that God has blessed Yemen with from one governate to another and the diversity of vegetation cover from one place to another. And because of the fact that Yemen honey is considered more distinguished and nutritious, it has a higher price than other honey types. According to a study conducted by the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development in 1985 AD and based on data from the International Food and Agriculture Organization "FAO," the average export price of a kilogramme of natural honey on the scale of international trade in 1983 AD was equivalent to (1.03) dollars, while the average price of one kilogramme of Yemeni honey, particularly Sidr honey, is $98.39. According to an Arab Organization for Agricultural Development inquiry, Yemeni honey can cost up to $100 per kilogramme, with certain rare varieties, such as Al-Sal honey and Socotra Mountain honey, costing up to $150.

Yemeni honey comes in numerous varieties, the most well-known of which is Sidr honey, followed by Sumor honey and Marai honey, which are widely available in Yemen.

Salam honey, mountain honey, and other less popular types due to low production, such as Al-Sal honey, Al-Amq, Al-Kalh,Al-Asq, Al-Fadt, Al-Hada, and Al-Dhahia. Because these distinctive properties distinguish Yemeni honey, we can locate honey ideal for any age or category, such as honey for children and infants and honey for pregnant women. We also locate medicinal honey ideal for specific health concerns, such as Sumor honey for diabetics and those with viral hepatitis. Sidr honey is appropriate for people suffering from sexual weakness and irritable bowel, whereas Sal honey is appropriate for psychological symptoms such as sadness, anxiety, tension, and sleep difficulties. Salam honey is also appropriate for children with learning and communication challenges, as well as cases of involuntary urination. The lines below briefly explain the most important forms of Yemeni honey.

Sidr honey (Ziziphus spina-christi tree honey)

Sidr honey has a respectable reputation and is one of the most well-known honey in the world. Sidr honey is widely regarded as the greatest and most well-known variety of honey in Yemen. It has numerous benefits, the most notable of which is its influence on the body. Sidr honey boosts the human body's vitality, including sexual energy. This is why many people consider it a tonic, and people prefer it because it is free of the adverse effects caused by chemical medications.

Sumor honey (Acacia tree honey)

Sumor (Acacia) trees are thorny trees that grow in dense populations throughout Yemen, including Hadramout and certain hilly places in the governorates of Ibb, Dhamar, Sana'a, and Taiz. Sumor honey is well-known for its many diabetic benefits since it is sugar-free and includes vegetable insulin, which activates the pancreas and converts to human insulin, which reduces blood sugar levels. Sumor honey can also help with liver, stomach, and duodenal ulcers, as well as anaemia and colds.

Sal honey (Tamarisk tree honey)

Sal honey is recognised for its intense taste, which causes a burning feeling in the throat that lasts hours after consumption. Perfumers typically describe this kind as weak-bodied and impotent. Sal honey produces positive outcomes, especially when taken in proper amounts in the morning and evening for two months.

Marai honey

Almarai honey is produced on most days of the year, and bees feed on various trees and flowers. Almarai honey is of high quality and reasonably priced, and Almarai honey provides tremendous nutritional benefits, especially for those who are skinny or anaemic.

Salam honey (Vachellia lava tree honey)

Bees produce Salam honey from the blooms of Vachellia lavatrees, commonly found in the Tihama region on the Red Sea coastlines (western Yemen) and in the mountains of Al-Mahwit Governorate, which is known for its diverse vegetation. Salam trees (Vachellia lava trees) are semi-desert plants that bloom yearly in March. Salam honey, which comes from it, is crimson in colour and light in density. One of its benefits is that it is low in sugar, making it excellent for diabetics who use it frequently as an alternative to sweetening various foods without causing high blood sugar. As a result, (Salam honey) is the favoured and safe food for diabetics.

Mountain honey

Bees extract white mountain honey from many mountain plants and grass blossoms. Mountain honey is recognised for its rapid freezing till it becomes like sugar, and it has an effective therapeutic ability against various diseases. Its trees blossom in September each year.