Our honey: origin, altitude and harvest in Sicriyoc
Quick answer
Where does Sicriyoc honey come from?
Our honey comes from the family apiary in Sicriyoc, a sector of Quillabamba, in the province of La Convención (Cusco). It sits in the high jungle, at around 1,050 metres, among forest and coffee farms. There the bees forage wild and coffee flowers during the bloom from September to April. We harvest by hand and jar it unpasteurised, just as it comes from the comb.
Where is Sicriyoc and at what altitude?
Sicriyoc is a sector of Quillabamba, capital of the province of La Convención, in the Cusco region. It lies in the high jungle (the ceja de selva), at around 1,050 metres above sea level. It is a warm, humid zone of forest and coffee farms, with a marked rainy season from November to April.
That middle altitude, neither cold highlands nor hot lowland jungle, is exactly what bees like: there are flowers almost all year and a great variety of plants near the apiary.
What gives high-jungle honey its flavour?
The flavour comes from the flower. La Convención packs many ecological tiers into a small space, so within a few kilometres the bees find forest, fruit and coffee blossom. That is where our wildflower and coffee honeys come from.
The strong bloom runs from September to April, with the rains. In those months the bees work harder and the honey gains body and aroma. That is why each harvest tastes a little different: it mirrors the flowers of that season.
How do we harvest and jar the honey?
We harvest by hand, frame by frame, always leaving reserves for the colony. We extract cold, filter gently to remove bits of wax, and jar it as is: unpasteurised and with nothing added.
It is truly raw honey. That is why it keeps its pollen, its enzymes and its aroma, and why it crystallises over time. What reaches your jar is the same honey that comes off the comb in Sicriyoc.
Why are Cusco and La Convención honey country?
Cusco is Peru's top honey-producing region, and La Convención is home to a large share of its beekeepers. The province's honey has a reputation: honey from Kiteni, for example, was recognised as the best in La Convención.
We are part of that tradition from Sicriyoc, on a small scale and with our own harvest. We are not a supermarket brand; we are the apiary that harvests the honey you sell or taste.
Frequently asked questions
What is produced in Quillabamba?
Quillabamba is coffee, cacao, tropical fruit, achiote and honey country. Its high-jungle climate allows a wide range of crops, and that same variety of flowers is what feeds our bees and gives the honey its flavour.
What is high-jungle honey?
It is honey produced in the ceja de selva, the strip between the highlands and the lowland jungle, like Quillabamba, at roughly 1,000 to 1,700 metres. With so much forest and crop blossom, it tends to be aromatic and full-bodied, distinct from honey from cold high-altitude zones.
When is honey harvested in Quillabamba?
The strong bloom runs from September to April, along with the rains, and the main harvests fall in that period and towards the end of the season. That is why there are seasonal honeys, such as coffee honey, which depend on when the coffee blooms.
What is the altitude of Quillabamba?
Quillabamba, capital of La Convención, sits at around 1,050 metres above sea level, in the high jungle of Cusco. Sicriyoc, where our apiary is, lies in that same belt of forest and coffee farms.
What is the province of La Convención?
La Convención is the largest province in the Cusco region, in the high and lowland jungle north of the city of Cusco. Its capital is Quillabamba. It is a very rich farming area, famous for its coffee and also for its honey.
Is your honey organic?
Our honey is natural and raw, harvested in a setting of forest and coffee farms, unpasteurised and unblended. We work on a small scale with careful hive management. We do not hold a formal organic certificate; what we offer is real traceability: you know exactly which apiary it comes from.
Do you use native bees?
Yes. Alongside the Apis bee for wildflower and coffee honey, we work with native stingless bees (chuncho or meliponas) for chuncho honey. These native bees are vital for the forest, and in Peru they are now recognised as heritage worth protecting.
How much honey do you produce a year?
We produce on a small scale, with our own harvest limited by the bloom season. That is why some varieties, such as chuncho, sometimes sell out. To secure your jar, message us on WhatsApp and we will let you know when we harvest.
Want real honey, from an apiary you can actually visit?
Message us on WhatsApp and we'll tell you the jar sizes, the price, and how we ship. You can also come see the apiary in Sicriyoc yourself.