Dingfeng Bee Farm Introduction
The flowers change with the seasons, and bees collect nectar from different blossoms. Longan flower honey is the most common and popular flavor, while another uniquely flavored honey is wildflower honey, primarily sourced from the plant known as Houttuynia cordata, which many might not recognize by name, but are likely familiar with as a plant that stings and sticks to you when running through fields, commonly known as "ghost needle grass." The flowers of Houttuynia cordata are white with yellow centers; while they may be annoying at times, the honey produced from them is delicious! Since Houttuynia cordata usually grows near other types of flowers, bees often collect from many sources, hence it is also called "wildflower honey." Longan flower honey is produced only in spring, with a rich and thick taste that leaves a sweet aftertaste. Wildflower honey, on the other hand, is available throughout the year, has a more delicate taste, but a stronger floral aroma with a slightly sweet and tangy flavor that quenches thirst. It’s not spoiled, so don’t worry! Honey that contains natural fructose, glucose, and enzymes can be readily absorbed by the human body, leading more people to use it as a sugar substitute. The owner recommends mixing it with warm or cold water for long-term consumption; the white crystals formed during cold weather can be used as jam on toast or cookies, and it’s also healthy for cooking. If you enjoy trying new flavors, you can mix these two types of honey to create innovative tastes! However, with so many honey products on the market, quality varies; hence, the owner shares two simple tips to determine genuine honey: pure honey is dark in color and not transparent, which can be tested by placing a finger behind the bottle to check visibility, although wildflower honey naturally has a lighter color. The second method is to shake the honey jar; high-quality honey produces dense bubbles, while artificially diluted honey has fewer bubbles that dissipate quickly. The owner states that even among the same batch of bees, factors like water source, soil, and climate variations can affect the quality and flavor of the honey, all based on decades of experience. The produced honey has a moisture content of less than 20%, earning him first prize in the beekeeping competition in Hsinchu County for longan honey. When asked about beekeeping secrets, the self-producing and self-marketing owner shrugged and said there are no tips; understanding how to align with natural cycles can yield the most abundant rewards from nature.
