Collecting Honey - Jara Honey
Collecting Honey - Jara Honey
Ajara stands out as one of the most authentic regions in Georgia, preserving and cultivating many traditional lifestyles, including ancient forms of agriculture. Here, you'll encounter unique traditions that are not only rare in Georgia, but also globally. One such tradition is beekeeping and the Georgian traditional beehive, known as the jara.
The history of this ancient agricultural practice in Georgia is intertwined with the history of the nation. Historical sources indicate that domestic beekeeping was known to Georgians as early as the 4th century BC, with the production of honey, beeswax, and mead in large quantities. Beekeeping was one of the primary occupations of the inhabitants of ancient Colchis. Old Colchis, adorned with beautiful forests, was one of the areas where beekeeping flourished, producing some of the best quality honey.
Jara is a traditional Georgian beehive, used since ancient times for domesticating bees. There's no precise evidence to date the emergence of the Jara in Georgia. However, according to local folklore, the ancient inhabitants discovered bees in tree hollows, referring to these locations as "bee-trees" or "honey trees." Over time, they learned how to transform trees into "honey trees" themselves. They gathered colonies of wild bees and placed them in a hollowed-out wooden log, specifically split in two for this purpose. These logs were then hoisted onto trees, out of reach of bears. These tree logs came to be known as jara.
Jara honey is a unique, high-quality organic product. Today, this type of beekeeping is relatively rare, preserved only in a few places worldwide, with highland Ajara being notable among them.
Historically, bees were placed high on tree branches or inaccessible rocks. This allowed minimal human interference in the bees' activities, and the honey produced was more natural compared to contemporary hive practices. As agriculture developed and ties to the forest lessened, local beekeepers began to position jara hives in gardens near their homes. This enabled quick collection of honey, hive expansion, and increased productivity. Today, these are the typical locations where you can see jara hives. To protect the hives from harsh winter conditions, beekeepers in the highlands place jara hives within specially made wooden covers.
Given that the upkeep of bees in jara hives falls under unmanaged beekeeping, it requires the beekeeper's careful attention and expertise. The hives should be opened in good weather when the ambient temperature is above 10°C. Beekeepers must clear the bottom of the hive of fallen debris and other clutter.
Honey extraction from jara, referred to as "collecting honey," occurs from mid-July to the end of September.
If you visit Ajara during this period and decide to participate in the process, you should know some rules: Before removing the honey, the hives must be inspected and evaluated. The frames should be sealed, and no moths, worms, or other insects should be present. Honey must be extracted in accordance with food safety and hygiene requirements, which include the beekeeper maintaining clean hands, wearing gloves, and only using natural fumigants like dried corn husks. The frames should be removed with a stainless steel knife, and these removed honecombs should only be placed in food-safe containers.
After the honey is extracted, mechanical cleaning of the hives should be done to remove any fallen debris. It's important to note that jara honey should not be filtered, pasteurized, or homogenized. It can be sold either as comb honey or in its extracted form. One of the unique attributes of jara honey is the naturally made combs by the bees.
Jara honey is distinguished by its unique characteristics and purity. Human intervention in its production is minimal; instead, it's largely left up to the bees. The properties of jara honey are also attributed to the natural wax cells, or combs, that the bees construct and store honey in. This sets jara apart from other managed beekeeping practices where beekeepers dictate to the bees how and where to construct their hives.
