Themra Epimedyumlu Macun is one of the most searched-for herbal honey pastes to come out of Turkey — a 240 g glass jar of dark, thick macun made by Themra Bitkisel Ürünler in Mersin and sold in aktar (herbalist) shops across the country. If you have seen the red box with the ornate heart design in a Turkish bazaar and wondered what is actually in it, this page answers that.
What macun is. Macun is the Ottoman tradition of blending honey with dozens of herbs and spices into a spoonable paste. The most famous example, mesir macunu of Manisa, dates to 1527, when the physician Merkez Efendi prepared it for Hafsa Sultan, mother of Suleiman the Magnificent — a tradition UNESCO added to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2012. Themra’s version follows that same format: a honey base carrying a long list of botanicals in one jar.
What is inside. The base is filtered flower honey with glucose syrup and mulberry molasses, joined by bee pollen and epimedium (0.79%, as stated on the label) — the herb known in English as horny goat weed and in Turkish as epimedyum, which gives the paste its name. The blend also includes carob, oat, ginger, galangal, cinnamon, Lepidium (maca family), American ginseng, Siberian ginseng, red ginseng, nettle leaf, and Ginkgo biloba.
Taste and texture. Dense and molasses-dark, sweet from the honey and mulberry with a warm, spiced edge from the ginger, galangal, and cinnamon. It is eaten straight from the spoon.
How it is traditionally taken. The maker’s direction is one teaspoon a day on a full stomach, for both men and women. At that pace, a 240 g jar lasts roughly a month.
Good to know. This is a traditional food product, not a medicine. It contains honey and bee pollen — not suitable for infants under one year, and people with pollen or bee-product allergies should avoid it. Store the jar in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
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