11.01.2026 15:00
In the Ilgaz district of Çankırı, an auction was held to provide scholarships for university students, where honey was sold for 11,118 euros per kilogram (approximately 558,000 euros), entering the Guinness World Records. Thus, Ilgaz honey has been recorded as the most expensive honey in the world.
The Ilgaz Associations Federation held an auction in Istanbul on September 29, 2025, to provide scholarships for university students. In the program, 1 kilogram of raw honey belonging to Ilgaz honey producer Rıdvan Başeşme was purchased by businessman Hakan Özalp for 11,118 euros (558,000 TL).
ILGAZ HONEY BECAME THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE HONEY
Following this development, the honey produced in Ilgaz, through the federation's initiative, qualified to enter the Guinness World Records as the world's most expensive honey. At the ceremony held in the Kurşunlu district, the certificate for Ilgaz honey was presented to Mustafa Anaçal, the President of the Ilgaz Associations Federation, by Guinness's official adjudicator Richard Stenning.
"OUR AIM WAS TO GENERATE SCHOLARSHIP INCOME FOR STUDENTS"
Mustafa Anaçal, the President of the Ilgaz Associations Federation, stated that 1 kilogram of Ilgaz honey entered the Guinness World Records by being sold for 11,118 euros, saying, "We sold Ilgaz honey at the auction we organized this year to both generate scholarship income for our university students and to contribute to the promotion of our Çankırı and to brand Ilgaz honey. This auction took place on September 29. One kilogram of Ilgaz honey has now been recorded as the most expensive in the world in the Guinness World Records."
"THERE ARE NO ADDITIVES"
Honey producer Rıdvan Başeşme stated that the honeys are completely natural and additive-free, saying, "I am 63 years old and have been involved in beekeeping at an altitude of 1,300 meters since I was 10 years old. I produce without using any additives. Our honey that entered the Guinness World Records is solely made from the honey produced by the bee in the hive."
Osman Tamer, the President of the Çankırı Beekeepers Association, also stated, "By supporting and defending our own producers, we are in pursuit of producing genuine honey for the citizens as a remedy. Today, one of these honeys entered the Guinness World Records. Our honey has found its value."