Leading names from the gastronomy world came together at Balparmak Campus to create the “Taste Map of Turkish Honey”. Participants at the event were presented with world-famous Raffaele Dall'Olio, Italian Bee Scientist, Honey Taster and Sensory Analysis TrainerHe received training in distinguishing different taste profiles and evaluating the sensory richness of honey.

Turkey, thanks to its unique geographical richness and climate diversity, is among the world's leading countries in honey production in terms of both quantity and quality. Home to approximately 12 thousand plant species, Anatolian geography naturally grows over 3 endemic plants. This unique flora richness contributes to the formation of honeys that offer unique aromas through thousands of different nectar sources such as thyme, astragalus, rockrose, lavender, citrus, chestnut and pine.

Turkey, which ranks third in the world in terms of the number of bee colonies with nearly 9,2 million, has the potential to be a real world brand in honey, not only with its production power but also with its biological diversity, cultural heritage and sustainable relationship with nature. The responsibility of making this potential visible all over the world is undertaken by Balparmak, which has been devotedly supporting the ancient cooperation of bees and beekeepers with nature for 45 years and bringing honey collected from all over Anatolia to the consumer without compromising its naturalness.

Balparmak Turns Honey, Nature's Gift, Into a Cultural Experience

Balparmak, which sees Türkiye’s unique geographical and biological richness not only as a part of the production process but also as a cultural heritage and narrative element, has initiated a study to make visible the labor, bees, beekeepers, geography and story behind honey. Türkiye’s distinguished chefs and leading names of the gastronomy world, such as Maximilian JW Thomae, Gökhan Sehlikoğlu, Mert Seran, Jale Balcı, Çiğdem Alagök, Faruk Şüyun, Başak Oksak, Reyhan Ülker, Hatice Ünal Bilen, came together at the Balparmak Campus to create the “Taste Map of Turkish Honey” under the moderation of Food Engineer and Gastronomy Writer Ebru Erke.

As part of the joint work carried out by Balparmak with world-renowned Italian Bee Scientist, Honey Tasting Expert and Sensory Analysis Trainer Raffaele Dall'Olio, a tasting map of Türkiye's unique honeys has begun to be created. This map transforms honey from being just a part of breakfast tables to a cultural heritage that appeals to the senses. Natural honey is being redefined and goes beyond being a traditional flavor in the gastronomy world. It is turning into a characteristic element to be told stories about and to be paired with different ingredients with tasting notes. This opens a brand new page in Türkiye's gastronomy atlas.

Throughout the event, participants had the opportunity to experience honeys with different taste and smell profiles and discover the unique characteristics of each honey. This experience, enriched by Dall'Olio's training in evaluating the sensory richness of honey, revealed the gastronomic potential of honeys from Türkiye's unique flora and inspired the "Taste Map of Turkish Honey."

“It is our duty to tell the world the story behind every drop of honey”

The opening speech of the event was made by Balparmak General Manager Ulaş Altıparmak, underlined that Türkiye is not only a producer of honey, but also a country that stands out on a global scale in terms of taste profile and diversity. Altıparmak: “As Balparmak, we are working to record this valuable wealth and document it with scientific foundations. With our work, we aim to make this unique potential visible both in our country and internationally and to add value to the sector.”

Stating that the “Taste Map of Turkish Honey” event is a reflection of this goal, Altıparmak said: “Our country’s richness in terms of honey has been largely described with general expressions such as ‘flower honey’ or ‘pine honey’ to date. However, the aroma of thousands of plant species and the traces of the geography that gives life to those plants are hidden in each drop of honey. While the honeys obtained from the plateaus and plains of Yüksekova, Şemdinli, Bingöl, Muş and Kayseri draw attention with their aromas and flavor profiles specific to their region, monofloral honey varieties produced from only a single flower species also have the privileged tastes offered by nature. The strong aromas of the Black Sea chestnut honey, Refreshing Mediterranean citrus honey, Isparta and Burdur lavender honey, Taurus Mountains Thyme Honey. Each one leaves an unforgettable impression on the palate and is a part of our cultural heritage written with taste. This meeting we held on our campus today opens up a space for us to discover the sensory, geographical and cultural layers of honey together. Thanks to this flavor map supported by tasting notes, the geographical and botanical character of honey comes to light; each natural honey becomes the voice of its own geography. As Balparmak, we see it as our responsibility to go beyond bringing natural honey to the table and tell the world the labor and culture behind it, the story behind every drop of honey.”

The Sensory Journey of Honey: Tasting Techniques and Functional Usage Suggestions from Italian Expert Dall'Olio

The event, which started with Raffaele Dall'Olio giving information about sensory analysis methods in Italy, continued with the odor and then taste analyses of 12 types of honey, consisting of natural honeys with different profiles such as Yayla, Yayla-Ova, Yüksek Yayla, Chestnut, Thyme, Lavender, Kayseri, Bingöl, Şemdinli, Citrus, Yüksekova and Çam. Speaking about the event, Dall'Olio said: “Today, we examined the disciplines and approaches of Italians in honey tasting training. Thanks to a methodology developed in Italy, honey identity cards created for honeys with different profiles standardize the sensory characteristics of the products while also contributing to the increase in their international recognition. The rich and diverse endemic vegetation in Türkiye allows honeys with similarly different aroma and taste profiles to emerge. In the honey tasting event we held today, we evaluated 12 honeys from various regions of Türkiye with the sensory analysis method. In the analyses we conducted based on criteria such as taste, texture, aroma and smell; we had the opportunity to experience the unique profiles of honeys such as citrus, pine, highland and lavender.”

After the tasting event, Dall'Olio, who provided training on honey and its uses, said; “Honey is a very functional and miraculous food. Honey needs to be used regularly. We can make honey, which contains strong nutritional value, a part of our daily routine instead of consuming it at a certain time. For example; you can use it as a sauce in your fruit and vegetable salads, or you can use it to marinate your fish and meat products. You can also pair it with cheese and dried fruits to create different flavors,” and recommends consuming honey with yogurt, which is a powerful probiotic.

Source: HORECA TREND and Balparmak

The presentation made by Balparmak Analytical R&D Manager Dr. İsmail Emir Akyıldız left behind 24 presentations from 54 countries and received the “Best Oral Presentation on Propolis” award. Balparmak Board Chairman Özen Altıparmak was deemed worthy of the “Honorary Award” for his international contributions to the sector.

The interest in bee products is increasing all over the world. Dozens of studies are being conducted and scientific articles are being published to understand the benefits of the miraculous products of bees, honey, propolis, royal jelly and pollen. The third International Propolis Conference, organized every two years under the leadership of the International Propolis Research Group to closely follow all developments in the world regarding propolis, one of the valuable products produced by bees, was held in Istanbul in 2023, hosted by Balparmak. This year's leg of the conference was held in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil. At the conference organized under the title of "Immunity, Community, Sustainability", scientists from 24 countries had the opportunity to present their research on propolis.

Balparmak, representing Turkey, left its mark on the conference where the characteristic features, marker components, effects on the immune system and antitumor and antimicrobial properties of propolis obtained from different countries were revealed. Dr. Emel Damarlı, Balparmak R&D and Quality Director, attended the conference and Analytical R&D Manager Dr. İsmail Emir Akyıldız presented the research titled “Determination of chemical fingerprints of propolis samples from different botanical origins with untargeted metabolomics approaches”, while Laboratory Technical Manager Dr. Ufuk Alpat presented the study titled “Current developments in propolis extraction and processing”. A total of 24 scientific presentations from 54 countries were made at the conference and the presentation made by Dr. İsmail Emir Akyıldız was presented by the University of Sao Paolo, Brazil, which has the most scientific publications on propolis in the world, “Best Oral Presentation on Propolis" award was deemed worthy.

Dr. Emel Damarlı: “We Have Been Working to Explain the Benefits of Honey and Bee Products for 45 Years” 

The conference also included: Ozen Altiparmak, Chairman of the Board of Balparmak, for his international contributions to the sector “Honorary Award” what was deemed worthy. Receiving the award on behalf of Altıparmak, Balparmak R&D and Quality Director Dr. Emel Damarlı drew attention to the importance of scientific studies and emphasized that working together is necessary for a more sustainable future. Damarlı emphasized that Balparmak, which is the leading honey brand in Turkey and also the pioneer of the bee products sector in the international arena, has been working to bring natural bee products to tables for 45 years and that they carry out important studies for the sustainability of bees and beekeeping. Damarlı, who mentioned that bees have many value-added products in addition to honey, noted that propolis has a very special place among these products. Stating that they are especially proud to support research on propolis, Damarlı said, “Propolis is one of the most valuable gifts that nature offers to human health. We are mobilizing all our knowledge and technology to protect, develop and make this heritage sustainable.”

Propolis Usage Is Increasing!

Balparmak R&D and Quality Director Dr. Emel Damarlı stated that the antiviral and antibacterial effects of propolis have been scientifically proven, and emphasized that its use has increased by 50 percent in the last five years. Balparmak's good life brand Apitera has enriched its propolis throat sprays developed for adults and children with thyme, black cumin, sage, lemon and mint oil. Apitera Propolis Children's Spray was developed in cooperation with Balparmak R&D Center and TÜBİTAK MAM in accordance with children's taste sensitivity.

Damarlı concluded his speech by expressing his gratitude to the International Scientific Board for deeming the Balparmak R&D Center worthy of the award for its work.

Source: HORECA TREND and Balparmak

Scientists, beekeepers' associations, authorities and public institutions who participated in the 8th International Muğla Beekeeping and Pine Honey Congress, which was held with the participation of Turkey's leading honey brand Balparmak, shared the studies and developments in the bee products sector with the entire world beekeeping sector.

Balparmak R&D Center managers, who made two important scientific presentations at the congress, aim to increase Turkey's honey exports with the new analysis methods they developed. Balparmak, which is preparing to celebrate its 45th anniversary next year, has changed Europe's perspective on Turkish pine honey with its new C4 analysis method developed in four years of work at its R&D center. The new C10 analysis method developed by the brand, which has invested over 4 million dollars in its R&D center to date, based on the fact that pine honey, which is a secretion honey, cannot be examined with the flower honey analysis method, has been published in internationally refereed journals and accepted by laboratories around the world. This method, which is an important tool in the fight against imitation and adulteration in honey, has the potential to increase Turkey's pine honey exports by approximately 30 percent. The new C4 analysis method, developed with investments in R&D and intensive studies, has been included in the TSE standards and has been made official, opening the doors to a new era in our country's pine honey exports.

Balparmak Board Chairman Özen Altıparmak, who predicted that Turkey’s honey exports would increase by approximately 30 percent thanks to this method, said, “95 percent of the world’s pine honey production is produced by the Anatolian Honey Bee living in the red pine forests in Turkey. Pine honey is a type of secretion honey and requires a special analysis method. In international trade, all food products are subject to analysis at customs. In European laboratories, however, ‘flower honey’ analysis was used for pine honey. Due to this method difference applied by Europe, pine honey exports from Turkey were being returned from customs. Thanks to our investment in our R&D and our intensive scientific studies that lasted 4 years, we developed this new C4 analysis method specific to pine honey and paved the way for our country’s pine honey exports.”

Balparmak R&D Center is one of the 4 equivalent laboratories in Europe.

Stating that Turkey has a share of approximately 90 percent in honey exports to Europe, Altıparmak said, “As Balparmak, we have invested over 10 million dollars in our R&D center. We are the first R&D center in Turkey in the field of honey and other bee products and the eighth R&D center accredited by TÜRKAK in the field of food. In fact, there is no other center that is as advanced as this among honey packaging companies in the world. We have a team of 20 people, most of whom have doctorates and masters degrees. This center is also one of the four equivalent laboratories in Europe that rank first.”

The Biggest Problem of the Industry: Fraudulent Honey in the Market

Özen Altıparmak, who stated that they aim to create added value in exports, said, “We are structuring our exports in a way that will grow our own brand instead of contract manufacturing and we aim to increase its share in turnover to 15 percent.” “The biggest problem our sector is experiencing is fraudulent products that we describe as imitation and adulteration in the market and sold as honey. Today, honey-like products are sold for 70-80 liras per kilo. Even the price of natural honey from the beekeeper is much higher than this figure,” said Altıparmak, and continued, “As packaging companies, we are developing our analysis techniques to catch frauds. As Balparmak, we share the information we have with sector stakeholders, our ministries and world laboratories.” 

All Cheats Are Detected in 25 Minutes with the New Device

Özen Altıparmak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Balparmak, which continues its R&D investments for the development of the sector and the protection of consumers, continued his words as follows: ''With a new device that we brought to our laboratory in 2022, we can detect all the fraudulent elements in fraudulent products that are very similar to honey in 25 minutes. analysis Thanks to our advanced R&D investments and expertise, we can analyze a product in 833 different parameters. The new analysis methods we develop are published in peer-reviewed journals and laboratories around the world use these methods. This is a very important development for both our sector and our country. According to Euromonitor data, we are one of the top 10 honey packaging companies in the world. This gives us responsibility for the development of the sector and the protection of consumers.''

There are 4 Million Beehives in Turkey, Real Honey Yield is Around 60-70 Thousand Tons

Noting that there has been a 20 percent decrease in yield in pine honey due to forest fires in recent years, Altıparmak said, “According to Nielsen data and my experience in the sector, there are 4 million beehives with bees in Turkey. I estimate that the real honey yield is around 15-60 thousand tons with an average productivity of 70 kilograms per hive. The average age of beekeepers in Turkey has reached 55. Young people and women should be brought into the sector. We have been working for this since 2015. Under the roof of Balparmak Beekeeping Academy, we provide training that supports the production of higher quality and more efficient bee products. Our Beekeeping Academy will undertake beautiful projects again in 2025. One of the most important steps for the rejuvenation and sustainability of the beekeeping profession is to bring women and young people into the profession. For this reason, we support women and young people’s participation in the sector by making positive discrimination against them.”

“We Believe in Transparency, Our Balparmak Campus is Open to Everyone”

Altıparmak, who said that they had to reject approximately 44 percent of the preliminary samples that came to the Balparmak Campus, which is built on an area of ​​40 thousand square meters in Çekmeköy, Istanbul, as a result of the naturalness tests conducted, said, “We have to look at the entirety of each batch of product that comes in order to reach natural honey. I value transparency. We see our competitors as colleagues. I express at every opportunity that we are ready to share all our knowledge. Because as Balparmak, we cannot fix the sector alone, all stakeholders need to have the same level of knowledge so that we can fight against counterfeiters in the market together. Our Balparmak campus is open to everyone, we are waiting for everyone who wants to see our campus, from consumers to industrialists.”

Source: HORECA TREND and Balparmak