The Inzerki apiary has existed for more than five centuries. It is, therefore, a veritable institution and a temple for one of the tastiest honeys in Morocco. Discovery.
Inzerki, this small village located 80 kilometers north of Agadir is home to the largest of the oldest collective apiaries in the world. Also called the Taddart Ouguerram (the apiary of the Saint), this place undoubtedly produces the most exquisite honey in Morocco.
The region is a pure delight that will captivate your senses. You will hear the buzzing of the bees, admire the thousand and one colors of the flowers, also flattering your sense of smell. And your taste buds? They will not be outdone once they have tasted this delicious nectar sold only in Inzerki.
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Inzerki’s apiary. /DR
In the middle of the forest, one of the largest in the municipality of Argana, stands on a sunny hill, the Taddart Ouguerram which has no less than 4,000 traditional apiaries. Continuously exposed to the sun, close to an abundant nature, where there are argan trees, carob trees, as well as all kinds of medicinal and aromatic plants that allow this place to produce one of the tastiest honeys in Morocco.
Built of earth and wood, the Inzerki apiary is a veritable institution that bears witness to a centuries-old local tradition. Contacted by Yabiladi, Brahim Chtoui, president of the Taddart Inzerki Association for Development and Cooperation, tells us that several studies and research carried out by his association have shown that the construction of this place dates back to the 16th century, in 1520, more precisely.
A honey and a quality that flows from a source
As before, the Inzerki apiary is a collective apiary belonging to the families of the village. “The douar previously had more than 80 families in the northern zone, there are only seven left today. In the southern zone, we have gone from 80 to 35 families still present”, explains Brahim Chtoui. Inzerki families still store their bees in the apiary.
The apiary works full time between February until the end of July, beginning of August. “During this period, the tourists who come cannot approach the apiary, they are content to admire it from afar and for the bravest it is possible to go to the apiary where one of the beekeepers devotes himself to the explanations with great joy”, he continues.
Mid-August, the village comes alive, it is the honey harvest period. Produced in the traditional way, the apiaries do not give a lot of honey, explains the association, also a beekeeper. We are hardly talking about “10 kilograms of honey – for each box -, in the best case. Others produce less than three kilos. It is not like modern production with more abundant honey because in the traditional process it is the bee that does all the work”.
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Photo d’illustration. / DR
The famous honey produced in Inzerki is flavored with thyme, which is found in abundance in the lands of Inzerki. There is also the one with orange blossom or lavender, with a more delicate note on the palate. The price per kilogram is around 300 dirhams, “but to have real inzerki honey, you have to go there”, warns the association, which evokes appropriations of the notoriety of Inzerki honey by certain entities. Moreover, “content of the low local production, the families of the collective apiary reserve the honey for their own consumption or sell it to individuals on the spot. As a result, there is no intermediary or company that can claim to sell honey from the collective apiary,” he adds.
In addition, Brahim Chtoui tells us that “several families are turning more and more to cage production, which brings them a lot more”. But, at the collective apiary “we have banned this practice in order to preserve our ancestral process. From now on, more than twenty families produce in the collective apiary”, he specifies.
In addition to honey, families also invest in the production and marketing of aromatic and medicinal plants, which is why the region will dedicate hectares for their cultivation as well as to plant more than 2,200 hectares of argan and carob trees.
The Inzerki region welcomes many tourists, a source of income that still needs to be upgraded, says the association. For those wishing to extend their stay in the region, be aware that the nearest inns and facilities are located about thirty kilometers from the apiary. A visit to the women’s cooperative of Inzerki for the production of argan oil is a must in the region.