Honey in traditional cuisine of Uzbekistan and analysis of melliferous flora of Karakalpakstan

Abstract

Background: Honey and honey based-products have a long tradition as a food source in Uzbekistan. The melliferous flora is one of the main resources for honey production. In this study, we present a review of some honey-based foods made in Uzbekistan and on the current state of the wild melliferous flora of Karakalpakstan, which is located in the northwestern part of Uzbekistan. This is the first such statistical study in a region in Uzbekistan after nearly 30 years. Methods: Field studies were carried out between 2013 and 2015. The melliferous plants were collected on territory of Karakalpakstan. More than 450 samples of plants have been collected from this region. Results: According to the literature, in 1978, there were 68 species of melliferous plants belonged to 32 genera of 19 families. In this study on the territory of Karakalpakstan, we found 206 species of wild vascular plants, which belonged to 134 genera of 46 families, that have commercial value for beekeeping. Among the 206 species of wild melliferous plants identified, 196 species are considered to have medicinal properties. An analysis of 13 leading families containing five or more types of melliferous plants showed that these families comprise 72.05% of the total melliferous flora. Discussion: The obtained data on the sequence of flowering of wild melliferous plants show that the vegetation period starts from March. After June, the bees start to collect honey from the cultivated species. These data suggest that the melliferous flora of Karakalpakstan has a fairly powerful resource base, which with a right approach can help us to get dozens of tons of high-quality, environmentally friendly honey, catering to all needs of Uzbekistan.

Keywords

• ethnic food
• honey
• Karakalpakstan
• melliferous plants
• Uzbekistan