LITHUANIA | Li1, Spring Blossom | Li2, Summer polyfloral | Li3, Rapeseed | Li4, Linden | Li5, Buckwheat | Li6, Sosnowsky’s hogweed | Li7, Forest, European dark bee | Li8, Multifloral Hollow tree beekeeping | Li9, Vilnius city honeydew |
Li8, Multifloral, Hollow-tree beekeeping, European dark bee
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The honey
It is believed that the honeybee arrived in the territory of modern Lithuania around six thousand years ago, and hollow-tree beekeeping likely dates back to the same time. This is not only an archaic form of apiculture but also one of the oldest woodland trades, preserved the longest in the pine forest villages of Dzūkija.
The craft reached its peak in the first half of the 16th–17th centuries, but by the second half of the 19th century it survived only in the forested southeastern region of Lithuania, where logging was not yet so intensive. In 2020, this ancient practice was included in Lithuania’s list of intangible cultural heritage. Honey is harvested only at the end of August or the beginning of September, with each tree hollow yielding just 2–3 kilograms. Only the European dark bee survives winters in tree hollows. The honeycombs are processed using the archaic method - it is simply crushed into a homogenous mass, containing beeswax, bee bread, honey and propolis and packed into pots. It is not hard to imagine that the honey hunted for thousands of years ago tasted somewhat like this - dark and intense, with honeydew and heather nectar dominating with some acidity and bitterness coming from the crushed bee bread. Aroma: rich forest bouquet with resin, bark, dried herbs and subtle heather notes. Taste: complex, layered – less sweet, with earthy depth, tangy nuances and hints of heather honey. Texture: unique and uneven – dense honey combined with comb, bee bread and wax pieces, reflecting the full-season harvest placed directly into the jar. The beekeeping
In 2006, the administration of Dzūkija National Park and the Čepkeliai State Nature Reserve established the Hollow-tree Beekeeping Museum in the village of Musteika — an apiary where honey is still harvested using traditional methods.
For the past two decades, the apiary has been led by Romas Norkūnas, who possesses deep knowledge of both the hollow-tree beekeeping tradition and many other traditional Dzūkian forest crafts. Romas is not just a bitininkas (Lithuanian word for beekeeper), but also drevininkas (the specialized term that has survived in modern language, referring to hollow-tree beekeepers). |
