Clover honey
What is clover honey?
Clover honey is made from the nectar of white clover, the pasture legume that covers much of New Zealand's farmland. It is the country's most abundant honey: mild, sweet, pale and clean-tasting, with none of the malt or resin of the bush honeys. It sets to a firm, white, fine-grained texture.
| From | Trifolium repens (white clover) |
|---|---|
| Colour | Water-white to pale straw when liquid; opaque white once set. |
| Flavour | Mild and clean, straightforwardly sweet, with a soft floral finish. The reference point most New Zealanders have for what honey tastes like. |
| Where | Pasture country throughout New Zealand — Waikato, Manawatū, Canterbury, Southland. It follows dairy and sheep farming, because white clover is sown with ryegrass. |
| Harvest | Summer, roughly December through February, depending on the region and the season. |
| Crystallises | Readily, and finely. Clover is high in glucose, so it sets hard and pale rather than staying runny. Creamed clover honey is simply this crystallisation controlled deliberately. |
Worth knowing
- If a New Zealand supermarket honey is labelled simply “honey” or “blended”, clover is usually the bulk of it.
- Its mildness is why it is the usual choice for baking and for sweetening drinks: it does not compete with other flavours.
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
- 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.
- Thyme honey — Strongly aromatic and herbal, warm and resinous, with a lingering savoury finish.
- All 11 types