One of Georgia’s lesser-known treasures is its bees, some of which count the rarest species in the world the Queens being much prized by beekeepers.
In 2014, Georgia produced 4,100 metric tons of honey, but only exported 5, generating export revenue of $54,000, with Saudi Arabia accounting for 87% of total exports, followed by China (10%), and the Republic of Korea (1%). With government support for the formation of collectives since 2016, honey exports are expanding, seeing the local beekeepers scale up, increase efficiency, and complying with international certification standards.
Still, most honey produced in Georgia is produced by amateur beekeepers who own less than 300 beehives each (professional beekeeping minimum). There is a demand on the market for pollen, royal jelly (bee milk), propolis, beeswax, and bee venom, products used for various medicinal purposes and widely marketed for their health benefits.
The honey in Georgia is as varied as its landscapes: from the bitter tasting lowland honey to the sweet floral mountain honey of Svaneti.
Most local Georgians buy their honey from recommended door-to-door sellers or neighbors (who themselves get it from the villages beyond the capital), but there is a growing number of companies marketing their bee products professionally.
Gremi Company is one of them, offering customers a variety of beautifully packaged and delicious honey. Their White Clover honey is made in the company’s own bee hives in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, above the ancient historic complex of Vardzia, more than 1400 meters above sea level. The Gremi Company honeybees collect nectar from throughout the year. Iron-rich Field honey from Guria, bitter and creamy Ivy honey, medium-sweet Gudauri honey collected from wild cherry flowers, Chestnut and Acacia…the choice us wide.
Check out their products here.
Another provider of bee products is Tentorium.
With three branches in Tbilisi (Melikhishvili 8/2, Vazha-Pshavela 20, Grishashvili 8/10), the award-winning company offers everything a body in need of ecologically pure nature could desire, from Royal Jelly to propolis and other curative hair and skincare products.
Check them out at www.tentorium.ge
And if it’s souvenirs you’re looking for, then head along to Mates Madli for beautifully carved beeswax products- from bowls and cups to Georgian elements like Svan towers. This gem of a craftsman can be found below ground at Tbilisi Mall (Car Park Mall Entrance Level -1). His works deserve a better positioning in the Mall, but this secretive location only adds to the magical sense of having found something unique to Georgia.