Description
The Podkarpacki Miód Spadziowy PDO is a liquid or crystallised honey coming from bees from the Apis mellifera mellifera, Apis mellifera carnica and Apis mellifera caucasica species, while at least 70% of honeydew comes from white fir trees. For the remaining part, the honeydew can come from red fir and Scotch pine, with also traces of pollens, but without bringing changes in its flavour and aroma, which characterise this honey.
Production Area
The production area of Podkarpacki Miód Spadziowy PDO covers 17 Polish forest districts and two national parks, Bieszczadzki Park Narodowy and Magurski Park Narodowy, the most part located in the Carpathians.
Production Method
The bees can be nurtured with beet sugar or syrup prepared for bees, with at least 73% of sugar, and only before winter, except of the last two weeks before harvesting the honeydew, during which any additional food is forbidden. It is not allowed to eliminate pollens by means of filtering, to make the honey creamy as well as pasteurisation or artificial honey heating. Indeed, every production phase has not to overcome the temperature of 42°C. After harvesting, which takes place from the beginning of June to the end of September, the honey is cold-centrifuged in a honey extractor. Plus, after packaging the honey has to undergo a period of decantation in the clarifier.
Appearance and Flavour
Before crystallisation, Podkarpacki Miód Spadziowy PDO has a dark colour with reflections going from green to black; whilst later it becomes lighter in colour. The consistency is dense and very viscous. The flavour is sweet and delicate, with an aroma of resin and hints of pine needles.
History
The bee-keeping is an ancient tradition in the Carpathians, in tree trunks, and it is favoured by the natural conditions of the area. Many written documents are dated back to the 13th century. Amongst these, a honey tax of 1464 found in Debowiec, a hamlet located near Jaslo, and different regulations on the honey production from 1478 and 1538. In the middle of last century, the honey and wax production, which overcame local needs, brought to the export of these products to the Countries of Western Europe and the United States, with sales of more than thousand tons of honeydew in 1967, In 1980, a department of bee-keeping research was established in the Agricultural Regional Department of Boguchwala, founded for the fist time in Poland with a decree by the National Council of the Voivodeship of Rzeszów.
Gastronomy
Podkarpacki Miód Spadziowy PDO has to be stored preferably protected from light and at a temperature between 10 and 18°C, with a humidity of maximum 65%. It can be eaten raw or used as an ingredient for sweet and salted recipes.
Marketing
The product is sold as Podkarpacki Miód Spadziowy PDO. It is sold in different packaging formats such as glass or stone pots with a maximum capacity of 1400 gr.
Distinctive Features
The uniqueness of Podkarpacki Miód Spadziowy PDO is due to its simple reducing sugar content which is higher compared with the average and that, together with the limited acidity, produces its characteristic and well-balanced sweet flavour.
