Chestnut honey is of darker reddish-brown colour, with an odour that is akin to absinth and is more or less bitter. The bitterness comes from the grains of pollen that this kind of honey has in abundance. The vitamin value of chestnut honey is therefore greater than in other kinds of honey. It is indispensable in baking pastries and walnut cakes. It has a soothing effect and is a good medicine against indigestion and slow metabolism.
True chestnut tree (Castanea sativa Mill.) is a very fruitful plant for bees. Apart from nectar, it gives the bees an abundance of pollen. The long tasselled blossoms open in June and its blooming lasts until the early days of July. Chestnut tree nectaries are very sensitive and if the rain washes it a couple of times, the yield from this pasture is significantly reduced. I take advantage of the chestnut pasture in the vast chestnut forests in the area of Janče.
