Types of New Zealand Honey available through local honey suppliers, direct to the public, via our CLASSIFIEDS
Clover Honey Clover is one of New Zealand’s favourite honeys. It is pale gold in colour and has the clean, mild, traditional flavour that people associate with the honeys of childhood. It comes in both creamed and liquid forms, with the creamed form known for its ‘fudge-like’ characteristics. It’s a favourite for spreading on toast. Clover honey is a traditional farm honey from both the North and South Island, but some of the purest examples come from the Canterbury region.
Kāmahi Kāmahi is pale, lemon-yellow in colour and has a rich, sweet taste with a buttery finish. It pairs well with camembert, washed rind cheeses or goat’s feta. It works well as a base for sweet sauces or as a sweetener in spicy dishes. Kāmahi is mostly produced on the West Coast of the South Island.
Kānuka A closely related by lesser known relative of mānuka, kānuka honey is similar in both colour and flavour. It has earthy bush notes and a toffee-type finish
Mānuka Mānuka is the queen of New Zealand honeys, well-known both at home and overseas. Its colour can range from dark cream to dark brown and it has a distinctive earthy mineral flavour. It has also been described as woody or nutty in taste, with toffee notes. Depending on the packaging process it can have a ‘jellied’ texture and often small air bubbles can be seen.
Pōhutukawa Made from New Zealand’s famed Christmas tree, creamed pōhutukawa honey is off-white in colour with a clean, floral taste profile. It has been described as being like butterscotch. Trees in coastal regions, like pōhutukawa, can sometimes produce honey with a slightly salty taste. This is the taste of summer on North Island beaches.
Rātā Rātā honey is pale cream in colour and one of New Zealand’s sweetest honeys. It has a lime flavour profile, with some detecting ‘salty’ flavour notes.
Rewarewa Made from the New Zealand honey suckle flower, Rewarewa is light amber in colour with hints of orange. It has complex herbaceous flavours and a rich, malty taste which makes it a great natural sweetener for teas. This honey is mainly sourced from the Bay of Plenty region.
Tāwari Deep gold to orange in colour, this honey is described as tasting like rosehip syrup or very sweet golden syrup. It comes from the East Coast of the North Island and can be rich, like white chocolate melting off the tongue. It makes a delicious topping for pancakes or ice cream.
Honeydew Honeydew honey is made from nectar that is excreted by insects, rather than from flower nectar. It is also called ‘forest honey’, ‘pine honey’ or ‘fir honey’. Honeydew is medium-dark amber in colour and tastes complex and treacly. Some have described its flavour as being like ‘Christmas cake’. Apples, pears and blue cheeses match well with honeydew honey, and it can be a great addition to marinades. Honeydew honey is predominantly sourced from West Coast beech forests.
Thyme Produced from the flowers of the thyme herb in Central Otago, this is a pale, amber honey, with a very strong, distinctive herbal taste. This honey works well drizzled over roast vegetables, in vinaigrettes or stirred into pumpkin soup.
Viper’s Bugloss (Blue Borage) Made from the Viper’s Bugloss plant, which is sometimes called ‘blue borage’ this is a yellow-gold honey with lemon and floral flavours. It is a very versatile honey and is usually sold in liquid form, rather than creamed. Despite its name, it is not related to the culinary herb blue borage. Viper’s Bugloss commonly comes from the North Canterbury region