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Matakana beekeeper Grass Esposti fears that the continuing fanfare over mānuka honey can blind people to the fact that there are many other diverse, beneficial and healthy honey varieties produced in New Zealand.
To set about filling in the gaps in public knowledge and promoting an appreciation for other kinds of honey, Grass has set up the NZ Honey Tasting Shed as an addition to Beetopia – her beekeeping education centre on Omaha Flats Road.
Grass says some non-mānuka honey varieties can have even more beneficial properties than mānuka, yet they don’t get the same kind of attention.
For example, New Zealand beech honeydew has high levels of glucose oxidase, giving it antibacterial properties that often exceeds levels found in mānuka honey. Honeydew is produced after bees collect nectar that is exuded from another insect such as an aphid or scale insect.
Visitors to the tasting shed can savour raw honey sourced from all over New Zealand, including honeydew, rewarewa, pohutukawa, kanuka, tamahi, clover, multiflora, tawari, lavender and thyme.
Grass says during tasting guests get to appreciate differences even between the same honey types
“For example, by providing an insight into how clover honey from the North Island is very different to clover honey from the South Island,” she says.
Visitors learn to identify floral and nectar sources of the honey and observe its different colours and hues.
The shed also offers honey pairing sessions, where visitors taste honey combined with local produce, – such as cheese, fruit, olive oil and ice cream. Visitors learn how honey adds textures and layers to its various accompaniments.
Grass says globally there is a move away from using refined sugar towards honey, which contains natural sugar and has proven health benefits
This trend is noticeable in top Mahurangi restaurants such as Plume, Rothko and Leigh Sawmill Café, which are using Beetopia honey in toppings, desserts, soups and drinks.
Grass says there are several advantages of cooking with honey. It is hygroscopic, meaning that it absorbs water. Foods baked with it tend to be softer, moister and stay fresh longer.
She adds that honey is ideal for oven and microwave baking as the fructose in the honey increases the browning effect.
“Honey will provide some special attributes to your favorite recipes – golden crust, colour, flavour and moistness,” she says
