Eurotrash bees

Apparently, the Ligurian bees found on Kangaroo Island off the South Australian coast are thought to be the last remaining pure stock of this bee found anywhere in the world. Why is this? Well, seems once Italy joined the EU, those bees just cross bred their heads off with Eurotrash bees without borders. Or something like that. Anyway, down on Kangaroo Island, you will find Kangaroo Island Ligurian Honey, named in 2006 as best organic product – ahead of 75 other entries across Australia at the Vogue entertaining & Travel Audi Australian Produce Awards.

Honey, along with cheese and bread, always seems to me more like alchemy than a manufactured product, and the idea that one is getting a taste of the nectar produced by bees with a pedigree that goes back to the early 1880’s makes it even more special. And as early as 1885 Kangaroo Island was declared a bee sanctuary and no other bees have been imported since.

And here’s some bee trivia: Did you know that bees are truly amazing creatures. They have four wings that they stroke at 11,500 times per minute in flight. Bees have five eyes. A hive of bees needs to fly approximately 90,000kms to produce half a kilogram of honey. 30grams of honey would be sufficient fuel for a bee to circumnavigate the earth.