Tekes Mountain Flower Honey

Tekes Mountain Flower Honey

Tekes Mountain Flower Honey is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Tekes Mountain Flower Honey. The county of Tekes is named after the Tekes River. The name “Tekes” is said to be from the Turkic language, meaning “river on the shady side”; or from the Mongolian language, meaning “plains and wilderness crisscrossed with water sources” or “abundant with wild goats.” According to the *Current Status and Conservation Utilization of Xinjiang Black Bees*, in 1925–1926, Xinjiang black bees were brought to northern Xinjiang by Russians for beekeeping. These bees are mainly distributed in Tekes County, Nileke County, and Zhaosu County of Ili, marking the beginning of the beekeeping history in Tekes. The county currently has 7.54 million mu of grassland and over 100 species of wild nectariferous economic plants, offering an ideal natural environment for the beekeeping industry. Within its territory lies the magical Kalajun Grassland, covering a total area of 2,848 square kilometers, with altitudes ranging between 2,000 and 3,600 meters. Every spring and summer, the mountains bloom with hundreds of species of high-quality natural forage grasses, including medicinal herbs such as Codonopsis, licorice, snow lotus, notoginseng, fritillaria, mint, high benzoin, thyme, and aconitum, which provide rich nectar and health benefits. Moreover, Kuoketireke Township in Tekes County falls within the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Black Bee Nature Reserve, and these unique resource advantages offer a strong foundational guarantee for the development of the beekeeping industry. The county currently has 11,200 bee colonies, with 128 beekeeping households. The main bee varieties include Italian bees and Ili black bees, along with a small number of Carniolan bees and hybrid bees. The main bee products are honey, bee pollen, royal jelly, propolis, and beeswax. The annual production of bee products reaches 900-plus tons, with an annual output value exceeding 30 million yuan.

　　Region: Xinjiang

　　Applicant: Tekes County Rural Energy and Environment Workstation

　　Year of application: 2013

　　Geographical Scope

　　Tekes County is located in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in the western part of the Tianshan Mountains and the eastern end of the Tacheng-Zhaoxin Basin. It borders Hejing County to the southeast, Gongliu County to the east and northeast, Zhaosu County to the west, and Baicheng County to the south. The geographical coordinates of the Tekes Mountain Flower Honey protection area are: longitude 81°19′–82°37′, latitude 42°22′–43°25′, with elevations between 2,000 and 2,800 meters. The protected area covers four townships: Qiaolake Terek Town, Qilewuzek Township, Kuoketireke Township, and Kaladala Township (Kalajun Grassland), spanning a protected area of 500,000 hectares, with an annual honey yield of 1,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: Tekes Mountain Flower Honey is a clear, transparent, viscous or semi-viscous liquid or crystal at room temperature, with good fluidity. Depending on the types of nectar source plants collected and the season, it appears in various colors from water-white to deep amber. Due to the diversity of nectar plant species, the honey offers different distinctive fragrances. Its floral aroma is pure and pleasant, and the taste is mellow and sweet. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: moisture content 15%–18%, sucrose 1.2–2.1 (g/100g), ash content 0.05%–0.081%, citric acid 23–27 (mg/100g), acidity 3.5%–4.2%, fructose 18–24 (g/100g), glucose 15–17 (g/100g), acetic acid 145–170 (mg/100g), n-butyric acid 3.2–4.2 (mg/100g), reduced vitamin C 6.5–7.2 (mg/100g), pantothenic acid 9.2–11 (mg/100g), folic acid 0.001–0.008 (mg/100g). (3) Safety Requirements: Product quality and safety comply with the standards of NY 5134—2002 *Pollution-Free Food – Honey*.