New Zealand honey takes many forms

I was wondering the other day exactly what made manuka so exciting, and the good folks at Mighty Foods have provided a full roundup of all New Zealand honeys.  Manuka apparently has large crystals in it, and is "big, bold, amber colored", in addition to the antibacterial qualities I read about elsewhere.  However, there's also the light Pohutukawa honey (from the "New Zealand Christmas Tree" shown here), smoky-ginger Rewarewas, and caramel-butter Tawari.  They also recommend you serve honey chilled to keep the taste subtle, "the way we drink sweet wines".  Sounds delicious!  Another reason to go with a varietal is to avoid the risk of your honey being tainted with carcinogenic antibiotics.  Though banned in the UK, some countries continue to use them to kill bee mites, and the honey is then "laundered" through other countries before being blended into the commercial product.  So go local -  World of NZ has manuka for sale, for example - and know what you're getting.  [GT]

Profile: New Zealand honey at Mighty Foods

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