Since spring and summer come earlier to Upper than to Lower Egypt, beekeepers would place their hives on boats and descend the Nile in stages as the flowers and other plants bloomed. Ancient literature teems with references to bees, honey and beekeeping. The Romans, a more practical people, left various testimonials to the numerous preparations in which honey was a principal ingredient. Apicius gives some recipes that have allowed us to reconstruct the nature and type of Roman desserts. Curiosity The consistency, aroma and flavor of honey depends on the vegetation of the area where it is produced.
Honey is collected in spring and fall but the spring harvest is always better.
The nectar from some plants, especially absinthe, confers disagreeable odors on honey. The sweetest honeys are those made from the nectar of rosemary, orange and acacia blossoms and lavender. Colors range from transparent yellow to extremely dark brown. Acacia honey is straw yellow, while that from heather and linden blossoms is greenish. Chestnut honey is brown, while orange-flower honey is amber with reddish shadings.