Description

Slow Food Presidium Wukro is in the heart of the Tigray region, in the far north of Ethiopia. One of the country’s most prized honeys is made here, on a 2,000-meter-high plateau, where, according to the local people, “the mountains gather for meetings.” During the dry season the vegetation, mostly low shrubs, acacias and grasses, dies back, leaving a semidesertico landscape. The subsequent rains then struggle to turn the area green again. Despite the aridity, the annual production of honey is high, as beekeeping is a very common activity in the region. The honey is collected twice a year: The primary harvest is at the end of the rainy season (from September to December), while the second is only possible in rainier years and takes place from May to June. Three main types of honey are produced: red, yellow and white. The bright white honey makes up 90% of production. Coarse-grained, with an uneven texture, it has a delicate scent, not too sweet a flavor and a lingering aftertaste. This honey is made from specific flowers, mostly from the Lamiaceae family, and to a lesser extent, prickly pear and euphorbia.