Usually mountain wildflower honey (dark amber, with a complex aroma), cotton honey (pale, with a vanilla note) and a rare seasonal harvest such as sainfoin or acacia. Ask at the counter what is in stock.
Sweets
Natural Uzbek honey
Natural honey from Uzbek beekeepers: mountain honey from the Chatkal foothills, plus wildflower and cotton honey in season, all unheated and unblended.
Our Uzbek honey comes from apiaries in the Chatkal foothills and other mountain districts of the Tashkent region. Depending on the season we have two or three kinds at the counter: mountain wildflower honey (deep amber, with a complex aroma), cotton honey (pale, with a light vanilla note) and a rare seasonal harvest. None of them is heated or blended.
- Origin
- Uzbekistan (Chatkal Range foothills, Tashkent region)
- Category
- Eastern sweets
- Packaging
- Glass jars, 500 g and 1 kg
- Shelf life
- Up to 24 months in a dry, dark place
- Certification
- Halal, certified by ALHALAL
Uzbek beekeepers collect this honey from mountain apiaries, where the bees forage on the wild flowers of alpine meadows. That gives the honey a complex flavour with notes of dozens of plants; the flowers vary, so every batch tastes slightly different. The honey is never heated above 40 °C and never blended, so in time it crystallises naturally, which is normal for honey that has not been heated.
With Uzbek tea, honey comes on a saucer and is eaten by the spoonful rather than stirred into the cup. In the kitchen it is used to soak chak-chak and in sweet samsa fillings; with walnuts and dried apricots it makes a simple afternoon snack with no added sugar. Allow half a teaspoon per cup of tea, or a tablespoon in porridge.
Crystallisation is a natural process: within 2–4 months runny honey turns thick and creamy. To make it runny again, warm the jar gently in a water bath to 40 °C; any hotter and the honey loses its enzymes and aroma. Store honey somewhere dry and dark for up to 24 months.
FAQ
Natural Uzbek honey: common questions
It is a natural process: within 2–4 months of harvest, natural honey turns thick and creamy. In honey that has not been heated, crystallisation is normal. To make it runny again, warm it gently in a water bath to 40 °C.
Honey should not be given to children under 1 year old because of the risk of botulism (this is general advice for any natural honey). After their first birthday, children can have it in the usual amounts for their age.
Mountain honey has the complex character of many wild flowers, with a deep amber colour and a strong aroma. Ordinary field honey is simpler in taste and lighter in colour. Mountain honey is the mainstay of our counter.
For plov or tea
Everything for dinner at one counter
At Arkan Bazar in Riga you can get everything for a meal in one go: rice, spices, dried fruit, flatbread and tea. Planning a family celebration or cooking for a large group? Write to us through the form in advance, and we will have your order ready on time.