Description

In 1520 the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed on the Pacific coast at the southernmost tip of Latin America. There he found a land of breathtaking landscapes, magical volcanoes and colossal lakes. His chronicler described how in this region he met men he described as "giants, 10 feet tall."

It's likely that the 5ft tall Magellan met men who were "only" 7 feet tall but nonetheless, the myth remained and until today that land is known as Patagonia, land of the giants, in Chile.

The ancient rainforests of Patagonia meet the Andes mountains which sink dramatically into the Pacific ocean in a region sparsely inhabited except by wildlife and indigenous tribes. The Andean foothills here are covered in white ulmo trees (scientific name Eucryphia cordifolia).

For centuries, local tribes have been harvesting a unique honey that comes from bees feeding on these mountain ulmo trees. It is an aromatic honey with tasting notes of almonds and vanilla and an aftertaste of aniseed. Was this honey the secret behind the height of the Patagonian giants?

Today, descendants of the very "giants" who once inhabited this land, harvest this honey. It is organically produced and harvested by local beekeepers but not organic certified. Organic certification is not possible in this region due to its remote location.

We have been able to obtain a small amount of this honey and present it to you as a limited edition. Once it's gone, it's gone. We don't have any more and nor are we able to get any more.

This is 84% pure monofloral honey from bees feeding on white ulmo trees growing in the Andean mountains along the Pacific coast of northern Patagonia, Chile. 

It is a set honey crystallised with natural honey crystals. It has an intensely floral aroma, tasting notes of almonds and vanilla and an aniseed aftertaste.

As each mouthful of natural honey crystals dissolves in your mouth, you experience an intense burst of flavour that lasts long after the honey disappears into your body.

It is raw, organically harvested but not certified, unfiltered, unpasteurised and living... as natural as if you collected it yourself.

This honey tastes delicious straight from the spoon or mixed into cold water, makes a nutritious and refreshing drink.

Size: 227g (1/2lb) net weight in a glass jar
Colour: amber
Set/runny: set honey (crystallises with natural honey crystals)
Organic: organically harvested but not organic certified due to the remote location of the bee hives

Read on for more details about the origin, taste and uses of this set honey which crystallises with natural honey crystals.
 

Origin

Ulmo (scientific name Eucryphia cordifolia) is an evergreen tree that grows up to 40m tall, at up to 700m above sea level. Every March, in the late southern hemisphere summer, the tree blooms into snowy white, fragrant flowers.

Bees feed on these flowers to produce this honey.  

Taste

Tasting notes: Almond, vanilla with an aftertaste of aniseed
Texture: set (crystallises with natural honey crystals)
Aroma: intense floral
Sweetness: sweet
 

Uses

In accordance with EU directive 1924/2006 we are unable to make any health claim about any of our honeys. The information given below is either background information about the plants from which our honey comes, or anecdotal based on customer reviews. It should not be inferred from the plant properties that this honey automatically possesses the same qualities or provides the same benefits as the plant.

At least 84% of this honey comes exclusively from bees feeding on ulmo (Eucyphia cordifolia) flowers.

There have been a number of scientific studies on the antibiotic and antifungal properties of mountain ulmo honey.

A 2010 study led by the Department of Clinical Microbiology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland found that ulmo honey displayed strong antibiotic activity against five strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

More than 10 years of scientific research carried out by Dr Gloria Montenegro at the Catholic University of Chile found that mountain ulmo honey displays an antibiotic performance similar to that of penicillin and tetracycline. 

Ulmo honey can be consumed like any other honey or applied on the skin in small amounts. It can be applied topically to burns and venous leg ulcers. 

This honey can be used like ordinary honey but is best taken as a teaspoon of this honey mixed into a glass of cool or warm (not hot) water and drunk once a day on an empty stomach 30 minutes before breakfast.

If you suffer from an existing health condition, always consult a medical professional before introducing something into your diet to help relieve the symptoms of that condition.

Note: unless where specifically mentioned, none of these statements have been clinically proven in scientific trials and none of these statements constitutes a claim as to any health benefit. Please contact us for links to the various scientific studies cited in these statements.