Honey from Kembuchi

There are two beekeepers in Kembuchi Town. One of them, Mr. Saotome and his products are introduced here.

Mr. Saotome has settled in Kembuchi Town and is a beekeeper.
Some beekeepers travel around Japan each season in search of flowers to collect honey.
Mr. Saotome lives in Kembuchi Town and collects honey from spring to fall.
In this area, there are no flowers in winter, so the bees are overwintered in a room that is somewhat warmer by giving them sugar water.
Incidentally, in the cold and snowy climate of Hokkaido, all but the queen bee cannot overwinter and dies around the time of winter.
In spring, bees hatch from the eggs laid by the queen and begin their activities.

Here in Kembuchi, nectar from a single species of flower is collected from acacia, clover, dandelion, and Japanese knotweed.
During the season when other flowers are in bloom, bees collect nectar from a wide variety of flowers in the area.
They are called “hundred-flower nectar.
Acacia nectar is generally considered the highest quality, but the others are not inferior in taste or quality, but have a strong individuality of taste.
Even if the flower species is the same, depending on the season and weather, the honey can be very moist and silky, or conversely, it can be highly viscous.
The moisture content of honey is generally around 20%.
The honey collected by bees contains a lot of water, but in the process of delivering it to the hive by mouth, the water evaporates to some extent with the flapping of the bees’ wings, but even so, the water content varies depending on the time of year and flower species.
Also, although this is based on Mr. Saotome’s experience, plants do not always continue to produce nectar, and the amount of density they produce may vary from one flower to another over an interval of a few days or so.
It also seems to be affected by the weather. Mr. Saotome does not process his honey or add any other ingredients.
Therefore, overly watery honey, or honey with an extreme flavor depending on the specific type of flower, may be difficult to eat, or may not be to everyone’s taste, so they may refrain from shipping it.

Honey is the product of worker bees (all female) that suck in nectar from flowers once it has been broken down by enzymes in their bodies and passed on by mouth to other bees, which then release it in the hive.
When the nectar is in the flower, it is sucrose, the main ingredient of sugar. The bees break it down into fructose and glucose.
These are monosaccharides and can be used as energy immediately after being taken into the human body.
They also contain few calories for their sweetness and are said to be less stressful on the body. Some flower species may also contain some minerals.

It sounds like a good thing, but there are two things to keep in mind.

(1) Do not give to babies before 1 year of age

Rarely, honey may contain a small amount of botulism.
At two years of age or older, the body’s defense mechanisms are in place to kill botulism without allowing it to multiply.
However, until the child is one year old, this defense mechanism is not in place, and botulism can grow in the body and cause a variety of symptoms.
It is recommended that honey and foods that contain honey should not be given to children until they are one year old. (Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for more information on this matter.)

(2) Some vegetarians avoid honey

I write this as a note to myself as a tourist guide.

There are not many foragers in Japan, but there are many foragers in other countries. In India, it is said that about 40% of the population is vegetarian. (From “Interpreter Guide Examination Practice,” Sanshusha Publishing Co.)
There are many different types of vegetarians. Of course, there are those who do not eat meat but do eat eggs.
On the other hand, there are those who do not eat eggs, honey, or any other food that comes from animals or insects other than plants (vegans, or pure vegans). （They are called vegans or pure vegetarians.)
The singer Madonna is also said to be a strict vegetarian.
Currently, the number of foreign tourists to Japan is increasing at an incredible rate.
Some of them are vegetarians, and others have food restrictions for religious reasons.
Providing such people with food they cannot eat can be a major problem.
The person who serves or introduces the food cannot just say, “I didn’t know about it.
When recommending honey to a foreigner, it is better to confirm it.
By the way, such confirmation is not rude at all [1].

In conclusion, I would like to share one concern of beekeepers in Hokkaido. Honey is a favorite food of brown bears.
Hence, if they find a honeycomb, they will destroy it and eat it. They have thick skin, so they do not mind being stung by bees.
It is just like the world of Winnie the Pooh. If they find a beekeeper’s hive, they break it and eat it.
Mr. Saotome’s hives are located in a human village, not in the mountains.
Therefore, the possibility of bears coming to the hives and destroying and eating them is small, but even so, he said he is very careful.

[1] “Interpreter Guide Examination Practice” (Sanshusha) divides vegetarians into six categories. In reality, they are probably further subdivided according to region, religion, and personal judgment. In any case, as a tourist guide (registered in Hokkaido), I pay attention to the dietary needs of travelers.