The honey produced in the Lake Maggiore area and the valleys in its hinterland is delicious eaten with lard or cheese and in desserts, but is also used interestingly in entrées and meat dishes. It’s one of the many specialities produced locally. Beekeeping is an ancient tradition here, with its origins as far back as the 14th century, as historical documents attest.

Local honey production is supervised by two Consortiums, one in the Verbano Cusio Ossola area and the other in the Varese area, which promote the main types of honey and guarantee their quality thanks to a combination of modern techniques and hands-on experience passed down through the generations.

The area’s geographical conformation means that honey can be produced from the shores of Lake Maggiore to high mountain altitudes. The variety of altitudes and consequently of vegetation result in the production of seven different types of honey with a high quality of flavours and aromas: chestnut, acacia, lime, rhododendron, honeydew honey, thousand flower and thousand flower from the mountains. These honeys have a range of flavours and colours, from pale gold to amber, sweet to slightly bitter, depending on which flowers the bees used to collect the nectar.