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 |
Li3, Rapeseed Honey
|
|
|
|
The honey
Rapeseed began to be widely cultivated in Lithuania in the 1980s, and over the last thirty years the fields have expanded sixtyfold—to 330,000 hectares, or more than 10% of all agricultural land.
Even where the soil is fertile enough for wheat, rapeseed is now increasingly sown. This shift followed the decline of small dairy farms and the subsequent shrinking of perennial meadows. As a result, rapeseed nectar can be found in nearly every spoonful of spring honey. This year, thanks to unusually favorable weather, it even appears in summer honey, a result of a record 40-day long bloom. It is not a highly prized variety of honey in Lithuania. In fact, most consumers are distrustful of it, due to the intensive agricultural practices, and in particular - the use of pesticides and herbicides. It still finds its niche - due to a mild flavour and a pleasant creamy texture, rapeseed honey is often favoured by children. This also makes it most suitable for creamed honey, which is mixed with freeze-dried berries, fruits or herbs to produce popular honey confections. As rapeseed honey is now abundant in early summer, it has also found its way into one of the most beloved and traditional Lithuanian desserts: fresh cucumbers drizzled with honey. This simple yet refreshing pairing, eaten in Lithuania since the XVth century and once only afforded by royalty, is now especially popular in summer. It reflects the local taste for combining seasonal produce with natural sweetness. However, the largest percentage of rapeseed honey harvest ends up in barrels, to be sold wholesale and exported. Aroma: delicate floral notes with a faint herbal freshness. Taste: mild, light sweetness with subtle vegetal undertones. Texture: fine-grained, creamy, smooth and easy to spread. The beekeeping
Together with his father Raimondas, Darius Keturakis tends to around 200 bee families in the Kaunas, Jonava, and Kėdainiai districts (mid-country). Over the season, they harvest cornflower, linden, fava bean, dandelion, buckwheat, and polyfloral honeys.
When not holding a hive tool or a fishing rod, Darius is often seen with a camera in hand. In 2024, he won the Véto-pharma photography competition. His subtle photographic style reflects the very same approach he takes to honey-making: a close kinship with the bees and an attention to the finest details. |
