Dilip Kuner
SPRING brings with it a sensory overload: blooming jacaranda, clinking glasses of cava, and – if you listen closely – a soft buzz in the air.
The buzz belongs to one of nature’s most essential (and underrated) workers: bees. With World Bee Day just recently past, it’s the perfect excuse to shine a spotlight on these tiny powerhouses and the role they play in Spanish culture, cuisine, and countryside.
Let’s start with the sweet stuff. Spain isn’t just a fan of honey – it’s one of the largest honey producers in Europe. With more than 2.4 million hives and some 30,000 beekeepers, this country takes its golden nectar seriously.
Each region has its own flavour. In the south, you’ll find fragrant orange blossom honey, while in the north, deep and smoky chestnut honey predominates. Over in Catalunya, light and floral acacia honey has its own unique flavour.
Locals don’t just drizzle it on toast – they pair it with cheeses, mix it into stews, or spoon it into yogurt for breakfast. Traditional desserts like torrijas and rosquillas often feature honey as a key ingredient.
But this sweet tradition is facing a bitter challenge.
A third of the food we eat depends on pollinators like bees. No bees? No almonds, tomatoes, olives, or wine grapes – not to mention honey itself.
In 2015, the International Union for Conservation of Nature warned that around 1 in 10 wild bee species in Europe are at risk of extinction, and over a third are in decline. In southern Europe, including Spain, the situation is especially serious.
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There’s no single villain here. Climate change. Habitat loss. Monoculture farming. Pesticides. Parasites like the varroa mite – all are playing their part in the crisis.
And then there’s Colony Collapse Disorder – where bees just disappear without warning. It’s been happening for centuries, but in recent years, it appears to have become dramatically worse.
Surprisingly, even though Spain makes fantastic honey, about 80% of the honey consumed here is imported, mostly from China. And much of that is fake – cheap syrup made from rice or corn masquerading as the real thing.
Local beekeepers are struggling to compete. So if you’re traveling through Spain and spot jars of raw, unfiltered honey at a market – grab one. Better yet, ask where it’s from and what flowers the bees visited. Not only will it taste better, you’ll be supporting a centuries-old craft.
You can even take it a step further and visit a bee farm. Across Spain, there are hands-on experiences that let you don a beekeeper’s suit, sample fresh honey straight from the hive, and learn how these incredible insects keep our ecosystems in balance.
So the next time you’re enjoying a cheese plate drizzled with the good stuff in Madrid or hiking through wildflower-covered hills in La Rioja to the accompaniment of a gentle buzz, remember: behind every spoonful of honey is a hardworking hive.
Supporting bees means supporting biodiversity, agriculture, and a whole lot of good food.
