Mad Honey

Mad honey is honey that contains grayanotoxins, produced from the nectar and pollen of the genus Rhododendron, giving it a dark, reddish color and moderately toxic, narcotic effects. It is produced principally in Nepal, where the Gurung people have practiced wild honey hunting from Himalayan giant honey bees as a sacred tradition for generations, and in Turkey, and is used in both places as a traditional medicine and a recreational drug. Historical accounts of mad honey date to Ancient Greek texts, including Xenophon's Anabasis in 401 BCE, and King Mithridates is recorded as having used it as a biological weapon against Roman soldiers in 65 BCE.