By Shekinah Sabrina Colcol, FoodFindsAsia |
Our original notion of honey is that sweet, golden fluid coming from yellow and black-striped insects with a stinger, but the Milea Organic Stingless Bee Trigona Honey begs to disagree.
Founded by beekeeping advocate Rico Omoyon, Milea Bee Farm is worth the trip down south to taste and see for yourself.
We were lucky to drop by their exhibit booth at the SMX Convention Center during the IFEXph 2015 event than to have made the long drive to San Jose, Batangas for probably our next family vacation or road trip with friends.
Philippine Native Stingless Bees (Trigona Spp.) have the unique ability to choose the freshest, ripest and most nutritious pollen grains each day. That is why during harvesting, it is unavoidably mixed with honey which accounts for its distinct sweet-sour taste. Unlike honey collected via apiary which is sweet and light-colored in nature, Trigona honey has a darker golden hue because it is gathered via meliponiary.
Honey is the best of sweeteners to the stomach, and it is known that the darker the honey is, the more nutritional value it has. Stingless bee honey can fight against common flu, cough and cold by mixing one tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of calamansi in a warm glass of water. It is also contains cleansing and tonic properties, best for salad dressings in green leafy vegetables or fresh fruits. Try adding it to a cup of coffee, too.
In cooperation with Spread Organic Agriculture in the Philippines and Department of Agriculture, Rico’s passion in teaching local farmers (and the public) updated beekeeping practice reaches more Filipinos as Milea’s BEEsita sa Bukid offers free beekeeping orientation, experience food from the hive and an avenue to meet new friends and share the green lifestyle. His advocacy for pollination as the primary purpose of beekeeping ought to continually cultivate the enthusiasm of local farmers to nurture their own bee colonies that would pave the way towards organic agriculture in the Philippines.
Working with nature is a win-win situation for both the bees and the consumers when proper beekeeping practice increase crop production.
For inquiries, email mileabeefarm@yahoo.com or contact Rico Omoyon 09178888439
Photo Credit: Milea Bee Farm
