Liquid Gold

Photography by Rene Rossignaud

The drive through the country lanes seemed infinite and, just as I was beginning to wonder whether we were going to drop into the sea, we reached Fawwara, one of Malta’s most beautiful rural areas, with the islet of Filfla in the backdrop. Then, there they were, hives and hives of bees, stacked neatly in a row in the afternoon sun.

Owned by beekeeper Nicholas Zammit, the 55 hives appeared closed and secret, miniature worlds housing piles of sweet rich honey, guarded by the bees which produce it. Working from sunrise to sunset and, when the moon is bright, on clear summer nights, bees scavenge the countryside busily for pollen, producing the thick golden liquid.

“Honey is harvested three times a year in Malta,” explains Nicholas. The first harvest occurs in May when multi-flora honey is gleaned. This is produced when the bees extract pollen from the myriad flowers which typically dot the springtime countryside around Fawwara. The months of June and July see the harvest of thyme honey which is made when the bees gather pollen from the abundant fields of wild thyme and seasonal capers. The last harvest of the year happens around October, when bees flock to the wild carob trees and eucalyptus trees, producing carob/eucalyptus honey. Each tray within the hive yields up to one kilo and a half of honey, with the multiflora variety being the most abundant.

“Each season produces a different-tasting honey, whose enzymes and precious qualities are beneficial to humans,” explains Nicholas. “The winter harvest of carob honey, for instance, produces a quality which is extremely good to help cure colds and coughs.” When making warming honey drinks, it is important not to pour boiling hot water directly over the honey as this kills all its enzymes, he explains. The trick is to either pour lukewarm water over the honey or first block the honey with a little cold water and then add the hot water after. This helps maintain the honey’s natural properties to their maximum benefit. Nowadays all honey is filtered of pollen, which can be highly irritating to those who suffer from hayfever-related allergies, says Nicholas.

Natural honey must always crystallise if left long enough in its pot; this shows that it is pure. “When honey does not crystallise, then it is not pure,” says Nicholas. “When pure, crystallised honey is not hard to penetrate with a spoon but allows the spoon to slide in easily. There are several misconceptions around this issue, but by purchasing honey from reliable sources, one is sure of spending money well and having an optimum natural product.”

Bees are fascinating creatures, says Nicholas, and he speaks of them with respect. “Each single year that passes, I learn something new about bees, about the Queen bee’s control over her hive, about honeymaking.” His hives house both Maltese and Italian bees, the latter much more docile than the Maltese bees, which are livelier and dislike intrusion.

The last of seven beekeepers which previously hived bees in Fawwara, Nicholas came to beekeeping after having tried several other jobs, now of which gave him the same satisfaction. He has travelled widely to meet other beekeepers in Sicily, Bologna and even as far afield as Australia, and likes to experiment by producing beeswax and extracting propolis, a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive and used for small gaps while larger spaces are usually filled with beeswax. Propolis is highly nutritious and boosts the immune system, explains Nicholas, as we we walk back out of the field, leaving the bees in their busy miniature worlds, secret hives of activity.