Bush and multifloral honey
What is bush honey?
Bush honey — also sold as native or multifloral honey — is not from one plant. It is what the hives gathered over a flow in mixed forest, so it may combine kāmahi, rewarewa, tāwari, rātā and others in proportions that change by site and season. That variability is the point, not a defect.
| From | Mixed native and pasture sources |
|---|---|
| Colour | Anywhere from gold to deep amber, depending on what dominated the flow. |
| Flavour | Mixed and generally fuller than clover: some maltiness from rewarewa, some butteriness from kāmahi, varying year to year. |
| Where | Anywhere with mixed native forest, both islands. |
| Harvest | Through summer. |
| Crystallises | Varies with composition. |
Worth knowing
- A batch that tastes different from the last one is normal for a bush honey and a sign it has not been standardised.
- “Multifloral” has a specific regulated meaning for mānuka honey under the government test. Used on a bush honey label it carries no such definition — it simply means mixed.
If it has set solid in the jar
That is honey behaving normally rather than a fault — why honey crystallises explains what is happening and how to bring it back to liquid without wrecking the flavour.
Other New Zealand honeys
- Clover honey — Mild and clean, straightforwardly sweet, with a soft floral finish.
- Rewarewa honey — Malty and caramel-like, with a burnt-sugar edge and a long finish.
- Kāmahi honey — Buttery and rich, often described as butterscotch, finishing with a slight, clean bitterness.
- Pōhutukawa honey — Mild and smooth, with a delicate, slightly mineral finish.
- All 11 types