The Socotran honey we receive is wild, raw, and in many cases not perfectly filtered. Obtaining honey from Socotra is very difficult and requires very particular contacts within the region.
The Socotran black is strong and bitter. It is likely the rarest honey in the world and is strongly influenced by myrrh trees amongst other various pollen sources. It is very dark and is used to help strengthen the blood, liver and digestive disorders and more. It is unlike any other honey you will ever try in both smell and taste. We are honoured to one of a handful of sources that can obtain this black gold.
We work directly with local people in Socotra to obtain this resin and are very proud of the grade we carry. For larger quantity quotes of 5-10kg+, please contact us directly.
The island of Socotra is unlike any other place in the world. It is somewhat magical and considered by many as the most special chunk of land on this earth.
Socotra Island is part of Yemen, located in the Indian Ocean about 340km southeast of Yemen and it is the largest of 4 islands. It is famous for its Dragons blood trees and its many plant species that can be found nowhere else on earth. 825+ Rare plant species can be found of which over 1/3 are endemic (occur nowhere else). In fact, this also applies to its reptile species (90% endemic) and snail species (95% endemic). Their marine life is also marvelous with over 250+ reef building corals, 300+ species of crab, lobster, shrimp, 730+ species of costal fish. You get the picture right? its literally paradise!
In addition to the Dragons blood tree, Socotra also well known for the Socotra Aloe, a rare medicine where the dried aloe juice is utilized as medicine known as Sabur. The aloe flows into wineskins as is collected and preserved in a special way over 2 years to evaporate the moisture. There are also several endemic species of Frankincense and Myrrh trees there that produce the most aromatic and exquisite resins such as: Boswellia socotrana, Commimphora Kua (Kua Red Myrrh) . These rare aromatic resins are literally from another planet.. there is something very special about any plant or herb material I procure from Socotra. Their soil is unmatched..
The island itself is also shrouded in mysteries and has long been known to be a land of magic. Many Sailors feared sailing around it in fact due to the tales of monsters and spirits that surrounded the island. Sorcerers, Wizards & Genies were also thought to exist there. Marco Polo in fact stated that the most powerful sorcerers in the world were from there. Tales of flying snakes, The Roc bird (described by Sinbad) and a Phoenix nest being hidden in the mountains are also well known. Even the Ancient Egyptians wrote it off as the land of Frankincense trees and Djins.
Socotra also has its own language “socotrian” but this oral tradition is also being lost and most young people speak a hybrid version of it where it is heavily interlaced with Arabic. One film director , who filmed “Socotra – the island of djinns” stated “Socotra is so beautifully strange, with an amazing vegetation, it almost feels like a dream, with no boats in the sea, no lights, no planes in the sky.”
The lagoons, the pristine white sand dune beaches, the incredible caves, the plants, the animals, the people, the culture make Socotra’s products truly unique.
Please note – our E-Shop only offers a glimpse of our complete offerings. If you are looking for larger quantities or wholesale accounts, please email us at info@urbanapothecary.ca, and lets chat!
Looking for more stuff? We invite you to browse our full catalogue , found in the menu section of our website.
Disclaimer: The Urban Apothecary only mentions potential traditional uses of our herbs. We make no medical claims on any of our prepared products, whatsoever.
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