Sage honey is one of the most popular kinds of honey on the island of Cres. The island of Cres is well known for its lamb, olive oil, and sage honey. It is considered to be the Queen in honey world. Its colour and flavour will lead you to the exotic world of tastes.
Due to the specific shape of the flower, sage is extremely challenging for the bees. The flower is deep and narrow so bees have to work really hard to get to the sweet nectar, which wears them out.
The sheep that wonder freely along the island contribute to the quality of sage. High percentage of essential oil makes sage bitter and therefore the sheep rarely eat it. So, they eat other plants around them leaving sage plenty of living space.
Dried sage is frequently used as spice. Sage honey doesn't smell like the plant at all since honey is produced from the nectar and the characteristic smell of the plant comes from the essential oils in leaves. The colour varies from light to dark brown, with a greenish shine. The smell is descreet, aroma abundant.
It is beneficial in treating respiratory problems, it helps with the cough, it soothes sore throat and chest pain. In the past it was regarded more as medicine, than as just honey.
On the island of Cres it can be found in several places- in Tramontana and Sis area, around the villages of Merag, Stivan and the area between Osor and Ustrine. It can be found in other places as well, but those places are impossible to reach by a vehicle. Honey obtained from each area slightly differs, depending on the other plants that blossom around sage.
The percentage of sage nectar is always higher during dry seasons. It is beacuse rainy seasons contribute to blossoming of thousands of other endemic flowers which bees are happy to visit, together with sage. Honey then acquires different aromas and tells slightly different story of this extraordinary honey.