Mint-honey, specialty of Ha Giang province

(VOVWORLD) -Ha Giang province is well-known for vast buckwheat and mint flower fields. Mint-honey is a local treat as it has attractive flavor and high quality. The honey reflects indigenous culture and production experience.
Mint-honey, specialty of Ha Giang province - ảnh 1Mint honey of Ha Giang province

Mint flowers grow wildly in mountains of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, and Meo Vac districts, about 2,000m above sea level.

The flowers blossom in October to January in freezing cold weather. When almost all kinds of fruit trees and crops cannot grow, rock mountains are covered with purple mint blossoms.

Mint honey is an incomparable specialty of ethnic groups in Ha Giang province. In the past local people kept beehives in their gardens and harvested the cured and capped honey for domestic use. They didn’t care much as about flower resources. When mint honey is more popular among tourists, local ethnic people have expanded honey production. Some families even have hundreds of bee colonies.

Vu Thi Dao in Sung Chao commune, Meo Vac district, says: "We harvest honey every 3 months. Beekeeping gives us good income.”

Mint-honey, specialty of Ha Giang province - ảnh 2 Mint flowers in Dong Van karst plateau.

Local people relocate beehives to areas of abundant flowers in each season. Vang Sung, a Mong man in Dang Van district, says: “Beehives should be located about 500m from flower resources. If bees fly too far, they will produce less honey and lower quality honey.”

Beekeepers have experience to keep honey in safe places out of the winter wind in high mountain. Beekeeper Pham Dung says: “Harvest season is from November to December in high mountains, and in October in lower mountains. I have big bee colonies and relocate beehives close to flower resources.”

In honey harvest time, several tents selling mint honey are built along Hanh Phuc road and on ways to communes. Beekeeping has become a trade helping ethnic people escape poverty.

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