VietNamNet Bridge – The center of Dong Thap Muoi features a large river basin area in the Mekong Delta with dozens of bee farms lining the road.

The beekeeper has to check the honeycomb and box every day

Apiarists usually gather there when thousands of hectares of cajuput forest is in blossom. The immense canopy is where bees come for nectar every day. Each box of bees can provide from five to six liters of honey each time in the blossom season of cajuput trees.

The honey extracted from cajuput flowers has a special flavor and a particular aroma which smells like a kind of medicated oil made from the attar of the tree.  This unique smell is preferred by many customers and draws multiple apiarists to Dong Thap Muoi.

When the honeycomb turns into a yellowish color with a thick and fragrant liquid, the beekeeper will squeeze it for honey – Photos: Dai Duong

Beekeepers have to live a nomad life due to the nature of the job. Their lives are quite temporary with a small camp in the forest among the bee hives and a few simple necessary items for daily use. When the cajuput forests have no flowers left, the apiarists move their bee hives to another place. They only have to wait 12 to 15 days to squeeze the honey from the honeycomb in the flowering season; otherwise, it will take a whole month to obtain a sufficient amount.

A two-liter bottle of cajuput honey costs around VND200,000. But, according to beekeepers, end-users have to pay a significantly higher price for it.

SGT