Stingless-bee honey is made by small bees that cannot sting. In Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills it is called putka ko maha, and in Nagaland it is sometimes sold as dammer bee honey. It tastes quite different from the honey most people buy, and it is produced in much smaller amounts. This post explains what it is.
The bees
Stingless bees are a separate group from the honeybees used in most beekeeping. In India the common species belong to the genus Tetragonula. They are much smaller than honeybees, and they defend the nest by swarming and biting instead of stinging. Colonies often live in hollow trees, wall cavities and the gaps in old stone or wooden houses.
How the honey is stored
Honeybees store honey in six-sided wax cells. Stingless bees store it in small rounded pots made of wax mixed with plant resin, clustered inside the nest. Collecting it means opening the nest and draining or pressing the pots, so each harvest is small.
How it tastes
The honey is thinner than common honey and has a sour-sweet taste, closer to fruit than to sugar. Studies have found that it is more acidic than honeybee honey and holds more water. One 2025 study of Tetragonula iridipennis honey measured a moisture content of about 16.5 to 19.8 percent, compared with about 16 to 17 percent for honey from Apis mellifera.
Why it is sold in small jars
A stingless-bee colony produces far less honey in a year than a honeybee colony, and collection is slow. For that reason the honey is usually sold in small quantities. Ours comes in a 50g jar.
How to eat and store it
It can be eaten by the spoonful or drizzled over yoghurt, fruit or toast. Its higher water content means it can ferment if it is left open or kept somewhere warm. Keep the lid closed, store the jar in a cool, dark place, and use a dry spoon. A slight fizz or a sharper smell over time means it has begun to ferment.
Other honey from the Northeast
For honeycomb honey, wild forest honey and other kinds collected in the region, see Types of Honey Eaten in Northeast India. For what the labels raw, unfiltered and organic mean, see Raw Honey: What It Is and How It Differs.
Source for moisture figures: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2025.
