orchid bees
are solitary bees mostly native to South and Central America, with a few species recently moving into the southern US. Male orchid bees don’t visit orchids for food, but rather to collect their scents. They hold collected flower fragrances on their back legs, and share them with females in courtship.
This candy box is named in admiration of orchid bees’ creative acts of perfumerie. Candies may not be nutritious, or needed for survival. But they are essential in other ways: as cultural expression, as pleasure and delight. This shop is an invitation to revel in the unique and wonderful ways that people craft such expressions all around the world.
This box is also named in appreciation of orchid bees’ native-bee, place-based ways of life. Candies have much local and regional variation: they are often crafted in ways that express love of a region’s histories and crops. Trying a candy can be a wonderful taste of that love; a playful glimpse into the culture and place that made it.
creative delight and love of placeare the driving motivations of Orchid Bee Candy’s offerings. We bring you flavors and surprises, selected for interest and care in craft, from places all around the world.
taking care
Orchid Bee Candy’s selection involves careful choices. When possible, I prioritize buying from small, ethical, and minority-owned and/or women-owned businesses, and from nearby distributors. I mostly use biodegradeable packaging, and when possible I buy bulk and package items myself, to avoid excess use of plastic. That said, these commitments are entangled with others: I also prioritize heritages, histories, global reach, and delight.
photo credits: The front page photograph is a public domain image taken by Alejandro Santillana for the “Insects Unlocked” project, Univresity of Texas at Austin. Accessed via Good Free Photos.
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2024/06/06/the-secret-lives-of-orchid-bees-uncovered-uf-ifas-study-reveals-unique-social-behaviors-of-these-powerful-pollinators/