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Have you ever heard of or tried Ikarian honey? Crafted from wild mountain herbs, Ikarian honey is a superfood that could be the secret behind the longevity of Ikarians. Ikaria, Greece is a documented blue zone where people live to 100 years and more.
We spend two months on the Greek island observing customs, diet and talking to people about longevity of Ikaria. One thing that stood out among the foods we tried there was anama honey. Here is why.
What is Anama Honey Anyways?
Anama honey is known as “reiki” in Greece. The honey is made of nectar from the heather plant. The heather plant is a wild herb that mostly grows high in the mountains of Ikaria. The scientific name for the plant is Erica manipuliflora.
The plant is not unique to Ikaria and is commonly found in the Mediterranean. Unlike most other plants that blossom in spring, anama (heather) flowers in the fall. There must be a coincidence of many factors for this plant to produce a substantial amount of flowers and nectar. Mainly, Ikaria must experience sufficient rainfall, but not too much. Also, Ikarian winters must be moderate and not too cold for bees to get out and collect nectar.
Anama honey harvest varies from year to year. Yields can be substantially lower compared to any other commercially harvested honey. For this reason, anama honey is not only expensive, but also hard to find.
Health Benefits of Ikaria’s Anama Honey
Sugar was not available back in ancient times. Hence, ancient Greeks used honey as a sweetener substitute. But, anama honey takes the sweetener concept to a whole new level.
There was a scientific paper on anama honey from Ikaria. The paper identified many organic compounds that have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Anama honey can also be used to heal wounds. This is due to the presence of antibacterial compounds.
What’s interesting is that researchers compared Ikarian anama honey to pine and thyme honeys. Pine and thyme honeys are very potent food products as they are. But, anama honey was found to contain way more antioxidants and other phenolic compounds compared to pine or thyme honeys. The authors of the study speculate at the end of the paper that the presence of these extra compounds may play an important role in longevity on Ikaria.
Taste Test of Anama Honey from Ikaria
When we were on Ikaria island, we accidentally bought anama honey at a local grocery store in Karavostamo. In fact, we wanted to buy thyme honey at first. However, because it was out of stock, a local Ikarian woman cashier recommended us to try anama honey. Unbeknownst to us, we came upon a hidden gem of a superfood, a true gift of nature from Ikaria.
Anama honey is nothing like your regular supermarket honey. Most anama honey in Greece is raw, meaning unpasteurized and unheated. For this reason, the honey crystalizes fast in about one to three months. The consistency of the anama honey that we tried was smooth, but very thick.
Anama honey is exceptionally bitter and barely sweet. It has a strong earthy taste with toasty hints of toffee. At the end, you get a strong medicinal finish. Anama honey has a flavor unlike any other.
While we tried anama honey just by itself, it pairs very well with yogurt, bread and especially cheese. I would not use it for cooking, that’s for sure. Its strong and rich flavor will dominate any dish cooked with it. On top of it, anama honey is best when consumed in its raw form for maximum health benefits.
Where to Buy Ikarian Anama Honey?
If you would like to try Ikarian honey, including anama honey made on Ikaria, take a look at Klio’s online store. Klio brings wild raw Ikarian honey and Greek mountain teas to US customers. Because Ikarians produce honey in small batches, it can get out of stock fast.
- From famous Blue Zone island
- Designated single origin honey
- 100% pure raw and unheated
- Heather (Anama), Thyme, Pine and wildflower varieties
- Produced in limited quantities
Ikarian honey offered by Klio is made of nectar from wild plants, including pine, thyme, anama and other wildflowers. It is raw and never heated. We hope you will have a chance to try Ikarian honey. It is unlike anything else.