Flowers are blooming and the bees are buzzing. Spring is such a gorgeously uplifting time of year and what better way to celebrate than with honey. Much more than a spread for toast or a soother of throats, honey has been used for centuries and was once the principal sweetenerwhen cane sugar was a luxury - interesting how things change.
Medicinal benefits aside, honey should be recognised for being so much more than a pot of blended generic "ho-hum" on the supermarket shelf. Thankfully, artisan honey producers have arrived. Their quest is to teach us about the many flavours a single varietal of honey provides.
Tasting their honeys you can experience the differences between, for example, wild thyme - bold, aromatic and intensely flavoured; manuka - dark amber and almost chewy; or beechwood honeydew with the feel and look of dark golden syrup.
J. Friend & Co is one example of artisan producers, selling superb honey selected from passionate beekeepers in small batches with labels specifying the floral source, the region and the name of the beekeeper.
Because it is not just the flower that creates the flavour but the region and even the weather. New Zealand's unique landscape, flora and fauna all add a distinct personality to our honey - characteristics we should take the trouble to appreciate and enjoy.
