Recently, there has been news about a doctor in Lào Cai, who while searching for medicinal plants in the forests of the Simacai region, discovered a type of honey that is naturally dry and hard as stone. Large honeycombs, which have been left for a long time, have ferns growing on them, and additionally, the bees produce dry honey instantly. Many readers are curious if this type of bee is a new species? Why is the honey as hard as stone, and what are its medicinal values?
The phenomenon of honey crystallizing is rare but can be easily explained. The type of bee that produces honey as hard as stone is known as the rock bee, one of the six honeybee species found in Vietnam. The rock bee (scientific name Apis laboriosa) is the largest species among honeybees, characterized by a black body with white stripes on its abdomen. They only build their hives on cliffs at an altitude of 1,200 meters or higher above sea level, and can be found at heights of up to 2,500 – 3,000 meters.
This species has the largest hive, with a large population that allows them to store the most honey, typically between 40 – 60 kg per hive. Globally, rock bees have been discovered in countries surrounding the Himalayas such as Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Yunnan Province in China.
What is special about honey as hard as stone? Photo VTC
In Vietnam, rock bees were first discovered by staff from the Bee Research and Development Center in Moc Chau District, Son La Province in 1996. The rock bee is highly endangered; previously, there were reports of 7 – 10 hives on a cliff, but now only 1 hive or even none can be found on these cliffs.
Regarding the information reported by the media, hunters observed a strange phenomenon: It is inaccurate to say that the bees produce honey that dries immediately. To process nectar into honey, bees need 7 – 10 days to reduce the water content. Generally, nectar contains about 70 – 80% water, but honey only retains about 20%. Additionally, bees secrete enzymes to convert sucrose (the main sugar in nectar) into monosaccharides, glucose, and fructose. Furthermore, beehives are often built on cliffs 30 – 40 meters high, making it difficult for observers to see how the small bees produce honey and to distinguish between dry and wet honey.
Currently, similar honey crystallization phenomena have been reported in some countries like Nepal and India. A company in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is advertising the sale of the rock bee’s crystallized honey on Alibaba.com for prices ranging from $20 to $30 per kilogram.
Dr. Phùng Hữu Chính (Former Director of the Bee Research & Development Center, Project Coordinator for “Conservation and Sustainable Exploitation of Apis laboriosa Smith in the Northwestern Provinces of Vietnam“).
