Mad Honey - A Hallucinogenic Honey
- bioworld090
- Aug 26, 2023
- 5 min read
Mad honey, also known as red honey, Himalayan red honey, deli bal, rose-of-the-forest honey (orman komar bali), is a honey found naturally in Turkey and Nepal. The honey is red in color, tastes slightly bitter and is famous for its hallucinogenic effects upon consumption.
How is mad honey produced?
Mad honey is produced in Turkey and Nepal by honeybees that feed on the nectar of rhododendron flowers. An example of a honeybee that produces this mad honey is the world’s largest honeybee Apis laboriosa or the Himalayan giant honeybee.
These honeybees feed on the nectar of rhododendron flowers. But not all rhododendron flowers produce nectar that can help produce mad honey. There are around 1000 species of rhododendron but only some rhododendron species such as Rhododendron luteum, R. ponticum, R. flavum, and R. simsii can produce nectar that can be used to make mad honey. It is due to the fact that not all rhododendron species contain the same amount and type of hallucinogenic compounds in them.
Not all mad honey is the same. If an area has only rhododendron flowers, the bees feed only on the rhododendron nectar and therefore, the honey they make contains large amounts of grayanotoxin. However, if an area has a large floral diversity, the bees may feed on the nectar of different species of plants and therefore, the honey produced will have a small amount of grayanotoxin.
How is mad honey harvested?
Mad honey is extracted from beehives just like normal honey, but this is much more difficult and riskier. In Nepal, the Himalayan giant honeybees make their hives on the sides of high cliffs. Reaching the beehives itself is a dangerous task and the method used to reach the hives make it more dangerous.
The Gurung people of Nepal have been harvesting mad honey for ages now. Before the harvest, they perform a ritual where they sacrifice a rooster which also serves as a meal later. The sacrifice is done to avoid any accidents and misfortunes. After the sacrifice, the person chosen to harvest honey climbs a bamboo ladder that hangs from the top of the cliff. He then harvests the honey while hanging hundreds of feet in the air with the help of a bamboo ladder and without any safety equipment.
Why is mad honey consumed?
Mad honey is consumed in Turkey and Nepal because of its possible health benefits. In both of these countries, mad honey is used for medicinal purposes. Mad honey is used as an aphrodisiac (sexual stimulant) and to treat a variety of conditions such as hypertension, peptic ulcer, dyspepsia, gastritis, indigestion, abdominal pain, arthritis, skin ailments, pain, cold, diabetes and various viral infections.
It is either consumed on its own or by mixing it with hot milk.
Mad Honey Poisoning
The recommended dose for mad honey is generally 1 tsp. However, the amount it may take to show its effects can vary greatly and depends upon the biochemistry of an individual. 5-30 grams of mad honey is the dosage that can show the effects of poisoning. Whatever may the recommended amount be, it is always good to listen to your body and take small amounts in the beginning (if you’re planning to take it).
Mad honey, when consumed in more than the recommended amounts, causes intoxication and leads to mad honey poisoning. The symptoms generally show within 20 minutes - 3 hours of consumption. The symptoms of mad honey poisoning include hypotension (low blood pressure), heart rhythm disorders, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, double vision, convulsions, impaired consciousness and heart attack. Death from mad honey poisoning almost never happens but in very rare cases, death can occur. These symptoms usually go away in 1-2 days.
Reason for Mad Honey's Toxic Properties
The hallucinogenic and other related effects of mad honey are due to a compound known as grayanotoxin. Grayanotoxins are neurotoxic compounds (negatively affecting the nervous system) found in Rhododendron species and also in the other plants in the family Ericaceae, the family in which Rhododendron is also placed. Grayanotoxins are also known as andromedotoxin, acetylandromedol, rhodotoxin and asebotoxin.
Historical Records of Poisoning
There have been several records of mad honey poisoning from ancient times. Below are 4 cases of mad honey poisoning from ancient times.
Xenophon of Athens, in his book, wrote about an incident of mad honey poisoning. Xenophon, in 401 BC, was leading an army of the “Ten Thousand” and near Trabzon, Turkey, they consumed honey collected from the nearby beehives. A few hours later, the men began vomiting, had diarrhea, became disoriented and could no longer stand. The effects were gone the next day.
Many centuries later, in 67 BC, Roman soldiers led by Pompey the Great, in pursuit of King Mithridates VI of Pontus and his army, suffered from mad honey poisoning. The army of King Mithridates left pots filled with mad honey for the Roman army to consume. After the Romans consumed honey and got sick, the Persian army returned to the spot and killed over 1000 men.
In 946 AD, Olga of Kiev used mead made from mad honey and probably killed 5000 men of Russian troops. The same method of using mad honey mead to kill enemies was also used by Ivan the Great in 1489. He used the mead to slaughter Tatar troops.
Popularity in Other Countries
Mad honey, originally found in Nepal and Turkey, has gained popularity in other countries too for its health benefits. Several cases of mad honey poisoning come from countries like China, the Philippines, Korea, Austria, Indonesia, Japan, Germany, Brazil and some parts of North America. Due to the health benefits, South Korea imported 8000 kg of mad honey in the year 2003-04 but its import was banned in 2005.
How to get Mad Honey?
There are two ways to get mad honey – one is to buy direct from the mad honey harvesters of Nepal and Turkey during a visit to these countries and the other way is to buy it online.
Many tourists that go to Nepal or Turkey buy it from local harvesters or shops that sell mad honey. Others opt for a more convenient way and buy it online from certain online stores.
Below are some of the online stores that sell mad honey:
It is important to always do your own research before buying mad honey from anywhere. Make sure it is from a trusted source as not all mad honey is the same. Some mad honey may contain strong amounts of grayanotoxins and can give a strong effect while some mad honey can have a very small amount of grayanotoxins and thus, can barely induce any effect.
Click here to see an informational video showing the process of mad honey harvesting.
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