All the sweetness of Italy focused on Castel San Pietro Terme where the National Honey Observatory awarded the Gocce d'oro, the highest recognition for Italian honey producers. In particular, eighteen honey producers have obtained the most coveted of awards, the three drops.
Participation in the competition was numerous, with 1.067 competing honeys produced in every part of Italy and sent by over 400 beekeepers. The analytical and sensory evaluations made by 84 tasters enrolled in the National Register of Experts in Honey Sensory Analysis therefore selected 373 honeys: 18 awarded with Three Golden Drops, 145 with Two Golden Drops and 210 with One Drop of 'Gold.
With reference only to the three drops, the region that leads the excellence of Italian honey is Lombardy, followed by Sardinia, Puglia and Sicily.
Particularly deserved awards in a particularly negative season for Italian beekeeping which recorded a collapse of over 30% of production due to atmospheric agents which penalized the work of the bees amidst drought, water bombs, violent hailstorms and frost in full spring that destroyed the blooms. The compression of bee activities has not only penalized the honey sector but, as it is now widely established, represents a serious danger for biodiversity, considering that they are an indicator of the state of health of the environment and serve the work of farmers with the pollination of flowers.
The healthy turning point of Italians as a result of the Covid pandemic has led to a 13% increase in family purchases of honey in 2020 but on the shelves of Italian supermarkets already more than 1 out of 2 jars of honey comes from abroad, with an estimated national production equal to 18,5 million kilos in 2020. According to Coldiretti elaborations on the data of the report of the National Honey Observatory in Italy there are 1,6 million beehives cared for by about 70 thousand beekeepers of which over 2 out of 3 are hobbyists who produce for self-consumption.
Around the event for the assignment of the three drops, the National Honey Observatory has promoted a series of events in Castel San Pietro Terme for both insiders and enthusiasts and onlookers. Sector seminars and conferences were held at the Cassero Theater, which it was also possible to participate remotely. Over the three days, representatives of MiPAAF, CREA, ISMEA, universities, zooprophylactic institutes and prestigious private laboratories specialized in the sector took turns to discuss the state of the art in the sector.
The "A dish with honey" competition, organized under the patronage of the Municipality of Castel San Pietro Terme and the Italian Academy of Cuisine, to promote the use of honey in catering, saw a large participation of restaurants that created their own menu with honey, evaluated by a qualified jury headed by the starred chef and scientific coordinator of the Gambero Rosso Academy, Igles Corelli, who paid homage to the Observatory, giving away his recipe for a dish with honey.
The Observatory, for its part, has appointed Corelli "Ambassador Great Honeys of Italy", this is the second ambassador, after Cristina Bowerman, two chefs passionate about honey, therefore natural testimonials of quality Italian honeys in Italian haute cuisine. The event culminated with the awarding of the prizes
The 18 best honeys of Italy 2021 awarded with the three drops for specialty:
Tree heather of Santus Giacomo – Narcao South Sardinia
Coriander from the Iannelli Assunta Farm – Foggia
Rosemary of Sangro Salento by Cinzia Montinari – Atessa Chieti
Dandelion from Apicoltura Zipoli by Balarini Ancilla – Romanengo Cremona
Acacia (black locust) by Apicoltura Il Dono Delle Api – Cremona
Thistle from Apiculture Mauro Lai – Ballao South Sardinia
Linden of Beeflower Formigine – Modena
On the Miceli Apiculture - Termini Imerese Palermo
Su Puleu Eucalyptus by Mariangela Cuccui – Mandas South Sardinia
Chestnut of Apiculture The Gift of the Bees – Cremona
Rhododendron from Bee Slow Beekeeping by Emiliano Barbato San Germano – Chisone Turin
Millefiori of L'Essenza Degli Iblei by Uccello Alfredo – Canicattini Bagni Syracuse
Clover of the Lucia Lamonarca farm – Ruvo di Puglia Bari
Honeydew (forest) by Apicoltura Codone Sofia – Alife Caserta
High mountain wildflowers of the Alps of La Piccola Arnia – Santa Giustina Belluno
Bastard indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) by Azienda Agricola Maccioni Piero – Larciano Pistoia
Sunflower from Apicoltura Pancaldi Budrio Bologna Ailanthus from Apicoltura Solemiele – Pandino Cremona
