A purple honey jar that looks like something out of a fantasy novel sits next to a regular amber-colored honey jar, leaving everyone astonished. Why does this unusual type of honey exist, and what causes its purple color?
Most people think honey is always amber to dark brown, which is why these colors are referred to as “honey color.” However, it turns out that there is purple honey in the world, and it only exists in one place.
Recently, images of mysterious purple honey jars placed alongside regular honey have caught the attention of many netizens. Many people have stated that their families have been beekeeping for decades, yet they only recently learned about purple honey. Consequently, the Sandhills region in North Carolina, USA – the only place in the world where bees produce purple honey – has suddenly become a hot topic. Everyone is eager to know how much purple honey costs and what it tastes like…
The recently posted image of purple honey has garnered over 1.4 million views, with over 24,000 likes. (Photo: Jim Rose Circus).
Due to the rapid sharing of purple honey images along with much speculation, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources stated that purple honey was first discovered in Sandhills in 2017, but it continues to astonish both scientists and beekeepers.
There is only one place in the world where bees produce purple honey. (Photo: Twitter).
Some experts suggest that the purple color is due to the bees consuming nectar from flowers that contain high levels of aluminum or nectar from a plant known as the sourwood tree. However, other scientists believe that it could be because the bees are feeding on nectar from the Southern leatherwood plant or even from blueberries.
Regardless, these explanations are still unsatisfactory, as these plants are not exclusive to Sandhills. So why don’t bees in other regions produce purple honey?
Honey has a deep purple color. (Photo: Twitter).
Residents of North Carolina have mentioned that there is also dark blue honey, but it is even rarer. The reasons why honey can be blue or purple remain a mystery to them. The taste of purple or blue honey is just as sweet as regular honey.
The two honey colors look completely different. (Photo: WRAL).
Purple honey is sold in North Carolina for approximately $10 for a 28-gram jar (about 238,000 VND).
