Honey from Hadhramaut in Yemen is said to be the world’s best. The long remote valley of Doa’an (Wadi Doa’an) lies in the governorate of Hadhramaut in the Republic of Yemen, and it is famous for producing what is recognized by many as the best honey anywhere.
Because of its superior quality, Doa’ani honey is usually a valuable gift to honeymooners, sheikhs, ministers and others whom one esteems. It is also a much-coveted gift from the people of Doa’an to their relatives in the Gulf countries.
There are many kinds of honey produced in Wadi Doa’an and the most sought-after variety is produced from the flowers of ilb (Ziziphus spina Christi) and is called sedr honey, produced in November and December.
Local people think that Doa’ani honey is a natural viagra and the grooms are advised to eat it before their wedding. In some places, they grill goat meat until it is about half cooked and then submerge it in honey for a while. The meat soaks up the honey and becomes fully cooked. Then it is served to the well-off would-be husbands.
The expensive honey is mostly eaten by wealthy men and the local people usually find it hard to enjoy the taste. Locally, the high quality honey sells for YR11,000 ($50) while in the Gulf, the price can go as high as $150.
Honey is a good source of income for many beekeepers and within the short period of time, beekeepers can rake in thousands of dollars. The season is only 40 days long because that is the length of time when the sedr trees are in bloom.
In October, 2008, flash floods ravaged fields of ilb trees where the bees gathered pollen, and consequently all the beekeepers sustained heavy losses. As many as 236,000 beehives were washed away at a total cost of $18m and the season was one of the worst in living memory.
In Yemen, there are 82,000 beekeepers producing 5,000 tons annually and the production of Hadhramaut constitutes 26 percent of Yemen’s total honey production.
Just prior to the season, Mota’a Mubarak travels every year from Jeddah to his home in Wadi Doa’an. When the annual season of arrives, he buys the bees and moves them from one place to another. At the end of the season, he waits for his luck. After that, he harvests the honey and heads back to the Kingdom where he sells the harvest.
“Doa’ani honey has a distinct advantage over other imported honey,” the young man told Arab News. “Despite the availability of inexpensive imported brands in the marketplace, Doa’ani honey has maintained its reputation and high price. People in the Gulf favor it for its delicious taste and use it as medication for burns and even recently for H1N1. It is also used as a natural power beverage,” he added.
Even though Doa’an has suffered severe drought this year, Mota’a’s business has flourished and this year’s production is greater than last year’s. “This year’s produce had been particularly good due to the small number of hives. When people from outside the governorate heard about the drought, they didn’t bring their hives, thinking that production would hit rock bottom. Consequently, there was only a small number of hives,” he explained.
Mota’a stated that some Saudi businessmen invest in the honey trade. They send Yemenis , who are originally from Doa’an back to the area because the Yemenis have experience in beekeeping. The profits are then shared between them. As an experienced beekeeper, Mota’a informed us how he recognizes good quality honey. “The pure honey is judged by its aroma, its red color and the small six-sided cells of the comb. Some people put it the freezer. Good honey doesn’t ever freeze completely.”
Yaslim Abdullah, 65, a resident of Doa’an, told Arab News that the honey of his youth was much better. “We used to take the honeycomb and put it on the ground. The honey didn’t get dirty. When you ate the honey, you felt like you could fly.” Profssor Mohammed Saeed Khanbash, honey specialist and lecturer at Hadhramaut University of Science and Technology, told Arab News that the Doa’ani honey is the most sought-after because of its unique features.
“Doa’an honey is naturally produced from therapeutic trees that are free from pesticide contamination and new protein produced by genetically engineered crops. It has an attractive shape, free from the strange smells that may result from old artificial wax. Its honeycomb has medicinal qualities since it contains pure natural wax.”
The professor added that skillful Doa’ani beekeepers have significantly contributed to the success of the honey, “Doa’ani beekeepers are fully aware of the production season. They are highly skillful in extracting the honey from the hives. They know the flowering season of trees and so they move their beehives at the right time.”