Cedar Honey (Asal al Arz)

Cedar Honey is the honey produced in areas where the prevailing vegetation is cedar trees. Cedar honey is produced in three areas in Lebanon which are Barouk, Bcharreh, and Tannourine reserves.
One special thing about cedar honey is that its content of vitamins and minerals is higher than the content of other types of honey. You may wonder how honey is produced from cedar trees if cedar trees are non-flowering plants. Actually, the process of producing this type of honey is interesting. First, aphids consume cedar tree sap, and change part of it into sugared water in their bodies (honeydew), then release it. Honeybees consume this honeydew and convert it into honey.

Zurayk, R., Toufeili I., Chay D. (n.d.) `Asal al ‘arz (cedar honey). Slow Food Beirut. Retrieved Friday July 10th 2009 from http://www.slowfoodbeirut.org/

Image: [Honeycombs in Barouk Reserve]. (n.d.) SlowFood beirut. Retrieved Friday July 10th 2009 from www.slowfoodbeirut.org