A Twitter user by the name of @jimrosecircus1 has been receiving mixed reactions following a picture that she posted of a jar of purple honey.
Next to it was another jar of honey of the usual golden colour.
“In the Sandhills of North Carolina, bees produce purple honey. It is the only place on Earth where it is found,” she wrote.
In the Sandhills of North Carolina, bees produce purple honey. It is the only place on Earth where it is found. pic.twitter.com/tJw7Ii1kXF
— jim rose circus (@jimrosecircus1) February 20, 2023
Many people were curious to know what it tasted like while others wanted to know where they could find the honey.
“Sweet. How does it taste?” asked one user to which @jimrosecircus1 responded: “Tastes great. I wonder if you glow under a blacklight after swallowing a lot of it (laughing face emoji)”.
A second user wrote: “This is really cool. My grandpa was a beekeeper and I find this fascinating. I wish I was able to buy some purple honey from North Carolina. I need to try it.”
“Wow! (shocked face emoji). I’ve never seen purple honey. I wonder if it is lavender pollen-related colouring?” questioned another.
According to reports purple and blue honey are rare and only found in North Carolina and nowhere else in the world.
What causes purple honey?
The mystery of North Carolina’s purple honey was discussed on the official medium account of the state’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
It shared that the delicacy continues to intrigue beekeepers and scientists alike.
While some theories suggest the colour is the result of bees feeding on aluminium-rich nectar or sourwood plants, others believe it may come from kudzu or southern leatherwood flowers.