Gangshan District, Kaohsiung is famous for its breathtaking
limestone terrain. This produces high alkaline soil which produces world
class longan fruit. This crop regularly flowers and attracts bees that
produce the finest quality honey, with a unique floral flavor. There are
numerous longan orchards in Gangshan and therefore the center of
Taiwan's longan honey industry.
Longan trees almost blossom one month after Tomb Sweeping. This is
beekeepers' busiest season. However this year, according to beekeeping
veteran of over 50 years Mr. Chen Cong-wun (aka "Papa a-Wen"), spring
was unusually cold, resulting in a late bloom. This followed with
numerous days with temperatures of approximately 28 degrees and the
longest honey harvest season, with the best quality honey in 10 years!
Papa a-Wen adopts the extraction system, which takes a few days
longer to harvest (10 days instead of 5 to 7 days), resulting in better
quality of honey. Papa a-Wen's "XO Grade" label offers a pure honey
which soothes the throat, is sweet, smooth and bares the scent of longan
blossoms. Natural honey looks slightly cloudy. After shaking, it foams
up with tiny bubbles and maintains the air bubbles for more than half
hour.
With its gentle texture and rich aroma, Taiwan produces some
of the best honey in the world. It is Papa a-Wen's dream to bring his
honey to as many people as possible. Helping him fulfill his dream is
son, Chen Jheng-cheng who not only inherited his father's enthusiasm and
appreciation of honey but also assisted in upgrading the family
business. By acquiring a subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs,
he renovated the farm and redesigned the packaging. This has upgraded
the family business, providing a high-end portfolio and putting it on
par with the world's top-notch honey brands.
Other beekeepers in Gangshan District also share Mr.
Chen's vision to promote the industry. An A-Lien District Beekeeping
owner, Mr. Chen Guo-jheng has also devoted his entire life to the
profession. During his interview, Mr. Chen demonstrated the harvesting
process. At first, he opens the hive slightly, allowing a small amount
of air to circulate and alert the bees to their impending visitor. It is
then fully opened, and Mr. Chen quickly pumps in smoke. This subdues
the bees and stops them from becoming agitated and attacking. In each
hive he checks the eggs in the queen's compartment, the worker bees'
diet and if the "nannies" are doing their job taking care of the next
generation. He gets so focused on his task; he barely notices the sweat
pouring off his face.
"I have spent my entire life chasing flowers", he declares. He
often loads as many as 300 hives in the back of his truck and drives
from Gangshan District (in Kaohsiung) to Taima Township, Taitung County,
sometimes he goes as far as Fuli Township in Hualian County. He travels
from town to town in search of the best bee pastures. Sometimes this
leads him into the remote areas deep in the countryside. His hard work
however, has not been in vain and over the years, he has won countless
awards and recognition.
Mr. Chen Guo-jheng, a second generation beekeeper and veteran of 36
years, taking over from his father who worked in the profession for 70
years. Since 1988, he has also been participating in the National Honey
Quality Award. Each time he attends, he learns something new and
improves the quality of his honey. The highlight of his career came in
2005, when he won the Shen-Non Prize (a prestigious award given to
people who have demonstrated an outstanding achievement in agriculture).
Natural honey has a shelf life of about 2 years; however, if the
water percentage is too high, it causes fermentation and premature
souring. Therefore, he keeps the water content around 18.2%. Mr. Chen
Guo-jheng is very proud of his quality product and maintains a high
percentage of repeat business. He is content with his establishment and
feels his greatest reward is to see the honey he produces enjoyed by
others.
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