20 May 2021
The Ogiek are indigenous people who live in and around the Mau Forest on the south-western side of the Kenyan Rift Valley and in the forests around Mt. Elgon along Kenya’s north-western border with Uganda. The entire Ogiek belief system and livelihood relies on the forest and its resources, with honey being the most important product and a staple food for Ogiek families. Honey has always played a key role in various Ogiek cultural practices, is traded with neighbouring communities and was used to pay the dowry. In the past, Ogiek honey was so precious that only certain people could handle it. Traditional fermented beverages are also made from pure raw honey, used during social events and initiation ceremonies.
From Kenya: the Ogiek honey Slow Food Presidium 23 December 2020
The
Ogiek are indigenous people who live in and around the Mau Forest on the southwestern side of the Kenyan Rift Valley and in the forests around Mt. Elgon along Kenya’s north-western border with Uganda. The entire Ogiek belief system and livelihood relies on the forest and its resources, with honey being the most important product and a staple food for Ogiek families.
Honey has always played a key role in various Ogiek cultural practices, is traded with neighboring communities and was also used to pay the dowry. In the past,