The Bee Whisperer

“Many people tote the health benefits of a honey-inclusive diet, so why not take that idea one degree closer to the source and eat straight-up bee pollen?”  That’s the thoughtful question that Peter Niemi of Niemi’s Apiary put to me.  Apiary is another term for bee yard, and it’s also interesting to note that some farmers provide free apiary sites because the bees pollinate their crops.  I met Niemi at the Lexington Farmers’ Market, where he travels every Tuesday from his twenty-five-hive home base in Athol, MA to sell raw honey, beeswax candles, beeswax hand cream, beeswax soap, honey sesame candy, and bee pollen.  It’s this last item that he can’t stop talking about.

I had never seen such an enormous bottle of bee pollen – one that Niemi was ecstatic to report would last a half-year or more.  A few questions, and this bee whisperer was off and running, telling me all about the health benefits of pollen in a way that I might talk about ice cream.  He loves the stuff.  First of all, it’s the male seed of flowers and required for the fertilization of the plant.  But beyond its primary role, pollen is a superfood – a nutritional marvel that may be the most complete food existing in nature.  In fact, it's the only food that contains the 22 basic elements (i.e. enzymes, hormones, vitamins, amino acids) in the human body.  Pollen is packed with protein (40%,) vitamins, and minerals.  Furthermore, it increases calorie burning, fights acne and wrinkles, increases red blood cells to improve circulation, boosts energy, improves fertility, boosts the immune system, and aids in digestion.  If you eat local honey fertilized by local bees, it can reduce your allergies because you build immunity to that pollen.  Finally, it’s used for weight loss and recovery from athletic stress.  I was starting to think I’d stumbled on the fountain of life…and that that enormous bottle was actually too small.

Then Niemi offered me a tasting.  I got the impression that this was his favorite part of the pitch, which he later confirmed by admitting that he once had thirty-some hits in a single day.  We each took a teaspoon’s-worth, careful to toss the golden granules toward the back of the tongue so they wouldn’t lodge in the front teeth.  Then we waited for them to melt in our mouth as the taste evolution swept from sweet to sour/nutty, and finally bitter.  It wasn’t delicious, but it was intense and intriguing in a way that I would look forward to a single daily dose.  Pollen is always bitter, but it ranges in color and flavor, just as each parent flower is similarly unique.  You can see and taste for yourself at the Lexington Farmers’ Market, which runs through the end of October.  For more photos, click here.  -sy

Comments

[Jane Kim]

whoa...I have never even heard of eating the actual bee pollen. Sounds like a good idea, though. I may have to get a jar. =P -Jane

[TIna M. Mulvey]

I have a life threating allergy to 3 kinds of bees, honey bee, wasp & yellow jackets. I carry 2 epi-pens at all times. Would consuming the bee pollen help reduce my allergy to bees? if so, is there a guideline?

[Jessica]

Fascinating stuff. Niemi looks like an amazing character too. It is always wonderful to find someone so passionate about their vocation.