Himalayan Red Honey

Other Names: Apis laboriosa honey, Mad honey, Red honey
is produced by the Himalayan cliff bee (Apis dorsata laboriosa), the largest bee in the world at just over 3cm long. It is the highland sub species of a relatively common bee, Apis dorsata, however only the highland species has access to the Rhododendron flowers that make it’s honey mad. Many Rhododendron species contain grayanotoxins, which is why they are widely known to be poisonous to humans. In the highlands of the himalayas; Bhutan, Yunnan (China), India and Nepal, the rare Himalayan cliff bee lives along side Rhododendrons (e.g. Rhododendron luteum and Rhododendron ponticum), and frequently collects nectar from their poisonous flowers.

Special Precautions of Wild Himalayan Honey

In large doses it can be highly toxic and even fatal. When taken in larger doses, mad honey can cause Rhododendron poisoning (or honey intoxication) which is characterised by vomiting, progressive muscle weakening and heart irregularities.

Benefits and uses of Wild Himalayan Honey

The properties of mad honey, both pleasant and harmful, are due to the grayanotoxins in it, derived from the Rhododendron nectar. Grayanotoxins are a group of toxins produced by Rhododendrons and plants in the Erincaceae family.