Miód z Sejneńszczyny / Łoździejszczyzny

Miód z Sejneńszczyny / Łoździejszczyzny, in Lithuanian Seinų / Lazdijų krašto medus, is polyfloral nectar honey with an EU protected designation of origin (PDO) from the Polish–Lithuanian borderland: nine municipalities in Sejny and Suwałki counties in Poland and twelve parishes of Lazdijai District in Lithuania.

Bees gather it from several dozen plants, including willow, maple, dandelion, raspberry, clover, melilot, lime, willow herb and false acacia. The colour is dark yellow to dark golden and slightly cloudy. Water is up to 18 %, glucose plus fructose at least 60 g/100 g, sucrose up to 5 g, HMF up to 2 mg/100 g, proline at least 25 mg/100 g and pH 3.8–4.8.

Because the growing season is short, the honey is produced only from mid-May to mid-August. It is cold-spun, never filtered, creamed or heated above 42 °C, and beekeepers pack it themselves in units up to 1,400 g. The area lies in the Niemen basin, the old Yotvingian lands; the border drawn in 1919 split it, but the honey is the same on both sides.

Why this matters to you: look for the name in Polish or Lithuanian and the PDO symbol; it is one and the same honey on both sides of the border.