Discover the Purple Honey of North Carolina

3 min read

2 months ago Robin

The Sandhills of North Carolina, USA, is said to be the only place in the world where bees produce a curious variety purple honey, an iridescent product that looks more like some legendary stuff than the sweet nectar we love.

The mystery of purple honey has increased its popularity among people who were unaware that such honey even existed in the world.
So, is it real?
Yes, and the pretty shade of purple is actually honey found in various regions of North Carolina, where purple honey is more widely known as blue honey.
Either way, it is said to be sweeter than the amber kind and apparently has some subtle fruit notes as well.
The color of honey, from light yellow to deep amber, depends on the type of flower that the nectar comes from, but in the case of purple honey, the cause is yet to be determined.
Some swear that it comes from fruits like blueberries or huckleberries, although scientists and beekeepers will tell you that bees don’t have strong enough teeth to bite through the skin of such berries. Others say that the flowers of the Kudzu plant produce the unusual color, while a few are convinced that it’s the southern leatherwood.
Actually, no one really knows for sure.

According to Professor John Ambrose from North Carolina State University, purple honey might be the result of a chemical reaction between the acid in the bees’ stomachs and aluminum.
It seems in fact that the flowers in coastal North Carolina contain more aluminum than anywhere else, which would explain why this rare honey is only produced in North Carolina.
Many of those lucky enough to have tried purple honey claim that it actually tastes “purple”, with a subtle taste of grapes or berries.

“It’s sweet. It’s produced by the bees, but it has a fruity undertone to it,” said beekeeper Donald Dees.
“It kind of goes with the unusual character of the honey being purple. It’s a fruity flavor that really no one can identify.”

Purple honey is a rare treat that usually commands a higher price than the amber kind, but with all the attention it has been getting lately, demand has increased even more, with North Carolina beekeepers reporting orders coming in from all over the world.

“I’ve got it on hold,” Donald Dees added.
“I’ve got a few orders left to fill. I couldn’t keep up with the orders there for about three or four days. I mean, I had to shut the website off, so I could get caught up with the orders to make sure I didn’t sell more than I had.”