Aristotle, apiary, and Arataki

Aristotle called it the nectar of the gods, and while we’d never disagree with the great thinker (though his 10 volume The History of Animals was a little long winded; just saying) we have to point out that if he thought the honey of 300 BC was special, then he should wrap his laughing gear around some of the nectar we make in the New Zealand in 2018.

Little old Kiwiland is producing some of the purest, bestest and most flavoursome honey in the world, and the Bay of Plenty is home to arguably the busiest and most discerning bees in the land. To find out more Plenty caught up with Chris McNaull of Arataki Bee Products to get the skinny on the good stuff.

For most of us, all we really care about is that liquid gold we put on our toast in the morning, but as the honey world has grown, so has the selection of varieties on offer. It can all be a bit confusing, so to help us tell our manuka from our multiflora, here is Plenty’s great big (well, small actually) guide to honey (with more than a little help from Chris at Arataki).

Rewarewa

An earthy, rich honey gathered from the New Zealand honeysuckle flower; popular in the kitchen for things like marinades thanks to it’s smoky, sweet flavour.

Kamahi

Quite a strong honey, often likened to molasses or toffee, Kamahi has a distinct aroma that is not everyone’s cup of tea but its flavour is divine; it goes well on a cheese board.

Manuka

The rock star of the honey world, Manuka is famous for its UMF properties but don’t overlook it for it’s classic, rich flavour that works well with pretty much everything.

Multi-flora with Manuka

You can’t tell the bees exactly where to go and multi-flora is nature’s way of blending the best of many varieties; the richness of manuka works well with the milder pasture and bush flavours.

Clover Blend

Pale gold, with a mildly sweet and delicately floral flavour this is NZ’s most popular honey; great as a sugar replacement or for in the kitchen, on porridge or on just about anything.

Tawari

Sweet and with a hint of butterscotch, many people can’t believe Tawari is just honey. Chefs love to drizzle it on pretty much everything, and once you’ve tried it you probably will too!

Comb honey

You either love or hate the chewiness of comb honey, but this is still one of the best options for your cheese board. It is growing in popularity again in New Zealand and sells very well overseas. Definitely worth another look if your prejudices date back to your picky childhood eating days.

Arataki may not have been around since Aristotle’s time, but they’ve been in the business and family owned since 1944, so they are one of New Zealand’s oldest commercial producers and certainly know a thing or too about honey. They currently produce and package around a thousand tonnes each year, with 70-80% of that being sold domestically and the balance going to export. In the autumn they raise and export around 30-35,000 live queen bees to Canada each year and in spring through early summer Arataki runs an extensive pollination programme that transports hives to eastern Bay kiwifruit and avocado orchards (bees on a plane, bees on trucks – there’s a movie in there somewhere). And if all that isn’t enough they are also a major producer of propolis.

They currently produce and package around a thousand tonnes each year, with 70-80% of that being sold domestically and the balance going to export.

Arataki’s honey and propolis is still 100% New Zealand made, just like in 1944, but while their honey hasn’t changed the industry itself certainly has. “Just over ten years ago there were 400,000 hives in operation in New Zealand,” says Chris McNaull, “and now there are around 900,000. The industry here has almost doubled in a decade, largely driven by Manuka honey and also partly because in New Zealand we don’t import honey, so what comes out of NZ is guaranteed to be pure NZ product; that is a big selling point.

Blasts from the past: Scenes from Arataki early days, complete with active volcano

But the industry has also changed as well as expanded. Arataki started out in Hawkes Bay before setting up a base in Rotorua, and we now have hives from the Coromandel to Gore helping us produce not just honey, but beeswax for commercial use, propolis and pollen, and to provide pollination services and live bees for export, so it’s certainly a changing field now.”

Oh, and just remember that it takes one honeybee a lifetime to produce 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey, so show some respect, if not restraint, when you’re slathering it onto your Vogels in the morning.

The industry here has almost doubled in a decade, largely driven by Manuka honey and also partly because in New Zealand we don’t import honey, so what comes out of NZ is guaranteed to be pure NZ product; that is a big selling point.”

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