More importantly, is the most expensive honey in the world also the best honey in the world? As with everything else that exists, these two are not necessarily equivalent.
One thing is clear: the most expensive honey in the world is Centaury Honey. It sells for 1.1 million US dollars per kilogram. No, that’s not a joke.
There have been online headlines in almost all countries in the world. It was called “the liquid gold”, “a world treasure” and “officially the most valuable honey in the world”.
What is the most expensive honey in the world? Centaury honey!
While this honey is definitely not made from centaurs (Centaur, in Greek mythology is a race of creatures, part horse and part man, dwelling in the mountains of Thessaly and Arcadia.), this honey may be considered quite magical if it is sold for that much.
The producer lives in Istanbul, Turkey, and if you want to buy his honey, you’ll have to travel there. Details about his business and Centauri honey can be found in a previous article: Again about the most expensive honey in the world. What is centauri honey?
But the producer doesn’t share much. The recipe remains secret, otherwise, it would be copied. All we know is that it comes from the deep caves of the Caucasus Mountains of Turkey. Here is its chemical composition, according to an analysis test performed by a Turkish lab in 2022.
The bee that produces Centauri honey is Apis mellifera Caucasica, also known as Caucasian honeybee. These bees
are known for their resilience to cold temperatures and high altitudes.
The honey bee colony is situated in an area 50 kilometers away from any house, in a pollution-free, pristine area. And if there are no humans around, there are no beekeepers, and thus no other honey bee colonies. That is also a plus, because this keeps them free from varroa mites, a contagious, common bee parasite.
Under usual circumstances, beekeepers are forced to use different substances to eradicate the bee parasites. But if the bees are free of them, there is no need for a treatment, thus ensuring the purity and quality of honey.
Is Centauri honey good for health?
Well, expensive or not, Centauri or not, any raw organic honey is good for health. Of course, not all types of honey have the same composition, or the same therapeutic value. Some have large quantities of MGO (like berringa honey or manuka honey), some have large quantities of antioxidants (like buckwheat honey, heather honey, blackberry honey).
Centauri honey is good for immunity and has potential protective properties against cancer.
Is there scientific evidence to support Centauri honey’s therapeutic value?
• A 2023 invitro research study, “Highly Effective Anti-inflammatory Potential of Centauri Cave Honey”, conducted by Márcia Santos Filipe from the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Facultad de Farmacia, Madrid, Spain, aimed to investigate the bioactivity of Centauri Cave Nymph Honey to validate its possible medicinal properties. The project was financially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal).
The scientists tested the antioxidant activity through the TBARS assay and the anti-inflammatory activity using RAW 264.7 macrophages. The results have suggested that Centauri honey possesses the potential to enhance immune responses.
The antiinflammatory activity of Centauri Cave honey samples was then investigated in an in vitro model, using the FHC cell line (normal colon cell line) and LPS (lipopolysaccharide) induction.
When the FHC cell line was treated with LPS, which typically induces the release of inflammatory cytokines, the honey was able to decrease the levels of these cytokines. This indicates that Centauri Cave honey has the ability to mitigate the inflammatory response triggered by LPS. These anti-inflammatory properties make it a promising candidate for further research and potential therapeutic applications.
The study was presented in July 2023 at the 71st International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA) in the presentation: Medicinal Centauri Honey: a promising ingredient.
Professor Patricia Rijo from Portugal for the Health Sciences report and for supervising in vitro research in the laboratory, collaborating with several reputable institutes from Europe.
Types of honey found under the brand Centauri:
- Centauri Classic:
– it’s polifloral honey produced on a 2300-meter-altitude plateau, in Turkish mountains.
– the annual harvest is of 15 kilos;
– price: US$6,500.00 per kg
– currently not available; the whole stock was already preordered until 2028. - Centauri Cave Nymph – 2500:
– A polifloral honey harvested in the mountains, from inside a cave situated at 2500m altitude. The combs are found approximately 1 meter deep inside the cave;
– The harvest is of 25 kg/year
– price: US$16,500.00 per kg
– The demand for this honey is pretty high. It was first produced for the Royal House, then it was available to large consumers. People say they are healthier after consuming it and will continue to buy it. - Centauri Po’s Select:
– A polifloral honey harvested from a high altitude (3250 meters). This honey has a very intense taste and it is a mixture of 98% Plateau honey and 2% Cave Emerald honey.
– The harvest is of 4 kilograms per year, but only half of it is for sale.
– price: US$55,000.00 per kg - Centauri Cave Plus +
– This is a custom-made honey, produced exclusively for personal use. It has high medicinal properties, targeting the specific needs of the client.
– harvested at 2500 meters altitude plateau
– it can be produced only for 5 consumers per year.
-price: US$80,000.00 per kg - Centauri Cave – Antique
– polifloral honey produced in a high-altitude cave (3000m), 50 m deep inside the cave;
– harvest: 2kg/year;
-price: US$190,000.00 per kg. - Centauri Cave – Emerald
– polifloral honey produced in a high-altitude cave (1900), 500m deep inside the cave;
– harvest: 1kg per 15 years
– the honey is kept in its natural environment, unharvested. After pre-order the speleologists will extract it and video record the entire process. The honey comes with a medical certificate from a reputable European Research Center.
– price: US$1,100,000.00 per kilogram.
The waiting time until delivery is 3 to 6 months.
Important note: To buy any of these honeys, you can only pay cash. So, a visit to Istanbul is a must. I personally find this quite appealing, Istanbul is a fantastic city, definitely worth visiting.
The packaging is exquisite. Hand-made, Turkish style. Like in this video. And see what consumers say.
So, is there a rich enough guy here to have tasted this honey? If so, give us a sign!
