Miele della Lunigiana DOP
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Introduction
Here we continue our introduction of Italy's 155 Protected Designations of Origin (PDO, or, in Italian, DOP, Denominazione di Origine Protetta) and Protected Geographical Indications (PGI, or IGP in Italian, Indicazione Geografica Protetta) products.
This month we present the excellent Miele della Lunigiana (Honey from the Lunigiana Area) DOP from Tuscany.
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Miele della Lunigiana DOP (Tuscany)
EU File: Reg. CE n. 1845/04 GUCE L. 322 - 23.10.04
The Miele della Lunigiana DOP is produced in three different types:
- Acacia
This type of honey must remain liquid and limpid for a long period of time, thus its appearance should be liquid and limpid when purchased. The color is very light, ranging from almost no color to light straw yellow. the perfume is ethereal, not very persistent, fruity, reminiscent of the flower from whose pollen it is made. The flavor is decidedly sweet with extremely low acidity. The aroma is delicate, with nuances of vanilla, and not very persistent. The consistence is viscous. - Chestnut
This type of honey must remain limpid for long time, and stay so for most of its shelf life, however, it could present late, incomplete crystallization. The color is of dark amber and it often shows reddish highlights. The flavor is consistent with the perfume, persistent, with a bitter layer that could be more or less pronounced. - Millefiori (Thousand Flowers)
The characteristics of this particular honey change from year to year, depending on the blooming period of the various plants in relation to the time of year. In any case, the flavor is always intense and aromatic, with notes of caramel and licorice, which can be more or less intense. It tends to crystallize consistently. In general, the water content is no more than 18%, and the idrossimetilfurfurale (HMF) content is lower than 10 mg/Kg (milligram per kilo) when it's packaged, usually in glass jars.
The bees live in wooden beehives treated against all major known bee illnesses. All the transformation phases of the product, including packaging, are made by the producer or, sometimes, by local cooperatives specialized in such production.
Historic documents reveal that bee-keeping in Lunigiana is an ancient tradition, and the origin of this activity is lost in the past. The strong links with the local culture are documented by the many ancient and traditional local recipes, some dating back centuries, as well as the medical use and the local candle-making industry.
The various types of honey produced in Lunigiana usually attain great success when they participate in important national and international competitions. For long time now, the local producers have been joined by various producers coming from other Italian regions, who more or less commute to Lunigiana, attracted by the possibility of making truly high quality honey.
The production area consists of a body of land which coincides almost perfectly with the natural mountain limit of the Lunigiana valley. The fields there are pristine, and their natural status is uncontaminated by pollutants. The wide variety of wild flowers, added to the cultivation of chestnut and acacia woods, guarantee constant, consistent production, characterized by abundant blooming, which allow for large production of mono-floral varieties of high quality honey.
The characteristics given to this product by the type and quality of the environment sets it apart from similar production, thus the Miele della Lunigiana was assigned the recognition of the Denominazione di Origine Protetta.
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