Our honey epitomizes New Zealand -pure, natural and distinct. New Zealand’s honey is a tribute to our rich biodiversity and unique ecosystem coupled with kiwi perseverance and innovation.
Geological and Ecological Background
New Zealand’s formation dates back over 500 million years during the Cambrian period on the edge of Gondwana. Approximately 85 million years ago, New Zealand separated from Australia and the rest of the supercontinent. This new landmass, known as Zealandia, has been largely submerged but has experienced several periods of rising and falling into the sea. New Zealand’s flora and fauna evolved similarly to Australia’s for millions of years, but as Australia moved north and its climate changed, the evolutionary paths of the two regions diverged rapidly. Today, over 80% of New Zealand’s plants are endemic, found only here.
The arrival of Europeans brought the introduction of the honey bee, which helped to pollinate introduced fruits, vegetables, and forage plants. Honey bees also began to produce honey from New Zealand’s native trees, resulting in a variety of distinct and delicious honeys not found elsewhere. Because of NZ’s diverse range of climates, many of our plants are quite localised producing regional honeys.
Distinctive New Zealand Honeys
Disregarding nectar-producing plants introduced from other countries such as clover, viper’s bugloss, and thyme, New Zealand boasts an impressive array of mono-floral honeys, including:
- Manuka: The most well-known New Zealand honey, Manuka is thick and strongly flavoured with proven health benefits. Its medicinal properties have made it highly sought after worldwide.
- Kanuka: Similar to Manuka but with a milder flavour and a toffee finish, Kanuka honey is thick and dark.
- Pohutukawa: This honey is smooth, with a buttery caramel flavour that is mellow with a hint of the sea.
- Beech Honeydew: Originating from native beech trees in the South Island this strong, earthy honey involves the cooperation of two insects. It is a honeydew honey, meaning that instead of using nectar, bees utilize the sweet, sticky honeydew excreted by native scale insects after eating the sap of the beech tree.
- Rewarewa: The New Zealand honeysuckle produces a pale, malty honey with a good acidic balance, a silky-smooth texture, and is not overly sweet.
- Rata: Both Southern and Northern Rata honeys are pale, almost white, with a delicate flavour. Southern Rata honey is more plentiful, while Northern Rata honey has richer, more complex notes.
- Kamahi: This pale spring honey is sweet with a subtle, buttery mouthfeel.
- Tawari: A sweet, orange-coloured honey that has the look and feel of golden syrup; it is fragrant and fruity.
- Bush Honey: While not a mono-floral honey, bush honey has a more distinctive flavour than other multifloral honeys. It is closer in taste and colour to Manuka than to clover, combining the flavours of various New Zealand trees and offering a robust, sweet flavour.
New Zealand’s honeys are far from being generic products; they are as diverse and distinctive as cheese or wine. Each type of honey captures the essence of New Zealand’s unique flora, making them highly valued worldwide.
Top Tip: Handling Crystallised Honey
Crystallised honey is essentially the same as liquid honey, just in a different form. Gently heating crystallised honey that has set hard will return it to its liquid state, retaining its original quality. Creamed honey is also crystallised honey but with very small crystals, giving it a smooth texture. An apt analogy is water and ice; larger crystals form an ice block, whereas smaller crystals create the texture of sorbet or gelato.
References
- Teara.govt.nz - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- Doc.govt.nz - Department of Conservation. Ken Brown is President of Auckland Beekeepers Club and Apiculture Tutor with Land Based Training Ltd and will be assistant to Maureen Conquer at her 3-Day Sensory Introduction to the Analysis of Honey class in April.
