6 types of Honey from New Zealand
Honey, Honey everywhere and so many different types! Here are the in’s and out’s of the different varieties including tastes, textures and where it’s most commonly found in New Zealand.
Kamahi Honey
Elle’s favourite! An intense flavour sensation with quite a strong complex flavour and perfect for recipes that require an identifiable honey taste, but pale and beautifully buttery golden in colour. It’s a fabulous honey to go with camembert and washed rind cheeses.
Produced and harvested from both the North and South Island, but mostly from the West Coast of the South Island from Kamahi Trees sitting 25 metres high in the canopies of our beautiful forests.
You will find Kamahi honey mostly creamed due to its above average tendency to crystallise.
Manuka Honey
This world renowned honey from New Zealand has a long history and is of significant value for both Maori and early European settlers for medicinal purposes.
Manuka honey is dark and amber in colour, a strongly flavoured honey with woody and nutty characteristics and intense toffee and caramel notes and can often even have a ‘jellied’ like texture.
Manuka Honey is well sought after in particular for it’s antibacterial activity and to help maintain inner balance and digestive health.
Beechwood Honeydew
Beechwood Honeydew is one of New Zealand’s premium export honeys.
A naturally dark amber honey and liquid in form, resembling golden syrup which does not normally crystallise due to the reduced levels of glucose.
Beechwood Honeydew contains high levels of antioxidants, which are helpful in maintaining and promoting beneficial gut bacteria (proboitic bacteria).
Honeydew is harvested from deep within the remote forests of New Zealand. Beechwood Honeydew Honey goes particularly well with smelly blue cheeses and with pip fruit like pears and apples.
Clover
New Zealand’s most common honey.
Through New Zealand’s historically pastoral economy and importance of sheep farming, clover (and rye) have dominated pastures throughout the countryside.
Clover honey has a delicate, mild sweet flavour and pale cream in colour. Traditionally, South Island clover honey is lighter that of the North Islands. It is loved for it’s subtle flavour and New Zealand’s pristine countryside produces some of the world’s best clover honey.
Wildflower
Wildflower Honey gathered by our precious bees from around New Zealand’s countrysides and forests, the honey is uniquely flavoured honey with a bouquet of native flowers. A light, fruity flavour, packed full of goodness.
Lavender
A distinctively flowery aroma with a delicate lavender scent, gathered from Lavender farms around NZ. A smooth and rich perfumed flavour and perfect to sweeten your cup of tea.
You can try selection of these gorgeous honey’s on our Big Foody Food Tours. Which will be your favourite?
