Propolis, together with honey, is one of the best known and most appreciated gifts from our bees.

It is in fact a prodigious resinous substance that is collected from the buds and bark of some plants.

In particular, those rich in resins and balms such as: poplars, firs, elms, oaks, chestnuts, willows and cherry trees, to name a few. After collecting it, the bees mix it with their saliva, wax and pollen.

Its composition is very varied, in fact it depends on both the flora and the harvesting season.

The same goes for both color: it can vary from yellow to green to red, to brown and black.

The flavor, consequently, will range from sour-bitter to sweet.

Propolis is used precisely by bees for its antibacterial and antifungal biological properties to sterilize the hive, especially the cells before the queen lays her eggs.

It is also used to close holes and cracks and “paint” them so as to make them immune to bacterial attacks. It also acts as a thermal insulator during the cold winter months.

Its name, in fact, derives from the Greek “pro” and “polis“, that is “in front of the city”, in defense of the city. By transferring its meaning to us, propolis is in defense of our city, that is, our organism.