Kalimpong, West Bengal

Raw forest honey (Neora Valley)

Raw, unfiltered honey harvested by hand from wooden log hives set in the wild forests of the Neora Valley and surrounding villages of the western district. The bees forage on wild Himalayan flowers, giving the honey an earthy, distinctive flavour that local sellers and cafés in Kalimpong market as pure local original honey. It is one of the few genuinely wild, district-specific edible products on offer. Buyers get unprocessed honeycomb honey or extracted jarred honey from local beekeepers.

Typical price: ₹400-1500

Buying tip: Buy from village beekeepers or established local sellers in Kalimpong town rather than unbranded roadside bottles; 500 g to 1 kg jars are the usual size, and darker, earthier honey signals wild forest nectar.