5 · Honey production in Cameros

Honey is very present in the mountainous regions of La Rioja and tradition reminds us that the Virgin of Valvanera, Patroness of the region, was found in an oak trunk in which there was a swarm of bees.
The beehives in this mountain have been prepared with emptied oak trunks and placed in the apiaries or in wicker cups covered with cow dung and mud, which served as an excellent insulator. Those hives were kept in the sunny side of the house, although the most common was to find them in the fields. Some houses had hives in bores of the facades, accessible for the extraction of the honey from inside the building.
Heather honey, dark in colour and intense in flavour, is typical from this area and has been a nutritional complement for children.