It seems like everyone is taking about honey these days– especially in my home region of northeastern Pennsylvania, where we are taking it by the pound to help with our early spring allergies!

While honey comes in a wide variety of types and flavors to appeal to every palate, it has been determined that some of the best honey in the world comes from Apicoltura Mattei, located in the town of Lapio in the Province of Avellino.

Owner Christian Mattei won the gold medal in the International Honey Competition (London Honey Awards) this past April for his blend of sunflower honey. This competition uses a blind method for testing products, without packaging and without any type of distinctive feature visible. Each product is given a code number to ensure their reliable traceability and the samples are evaluated by a jury. Each juror gives the honey sample a numerical rating based on a general sense of enjoyment (highest weight), as well as other criteria such as appearance, odor, texture, flavor, and mouth feel.

The honey products are evaluated based on their distinct and individual properties and do not compete with each other. Other gold medal winners include honey from New Zealand, Greece, and Switzerland. This year’s platinum winners included honey from Italy, Greece, and Saudi Arabia.

Apicoltura Mattei opened in Lapio in 2008 and is based off of the Mattei family’s love for the art of honey production dating back to the 1950s. The new production originally began as a hobby for the Mattei family, but then became a full-on brand known throughout Italy for its quality.

Today, the Mattei family has hives located not just in Lapio, but also throughout Irpinia. The main location in Lapio is open to the public at viale Prati, 47.

For more information on Apicoltura Matte, visit www.mielelapio.it.