What is mad honey?
It is the honey produced by bees which feed on the nectar of certain species of rhododendron flowers. These flowers have a natural neurotoxin called grayanotoxin in their nectar. The bees pollinating these flowers pass the toxin into the honey which when consumed, induces hallucinogenic effects in people.
Dark reddish in colour, this honey has been historically produced in the Black Sea region of Turkey. There is an interesting account relating to mad honey dating back to 401 B.C. A company of Greek soldiers passing through Turkey took violently ill and became disoriented after eating honey from beehive along the route. They recovered the next day. In another account, in 69 B.C., the invading Roman army of Pompey the Great was tricked by the locals into eating the honey. When the Roman became delirious and nauseated, the enemy soldiers swooped in and killed them.
Mad honey is eaten only in small amounts like medicine. Eating too much can cause hallucinations, vomiting, dizziness, irregular heartbeats and fainting. The symptoms are rarely fatal.
As rhododendron grow in high altitudes, the bees usually make their hives in sheer cliffs. In Nepal, members of the Gurung tribe go to extraordinary lengths to gather the honey. They climb down treacherous cliffs on long rope ladders with no protective gear, smoke out the bees and then cut away the hives dripping with honey.
