Rewarewa honey
What is rewarewa honey?
Rewarewa honey comes from the flowers of the rewarewa tree, a tall native sometimes called New Zealand honeysuckle. It is among the darkest honeys produced here — reddish-amber, with a distinctly malty, caramelised, slightly burnt-sugar character that sets it well apart from pasture honeys.
| From | Knightia excelsa (New Zealand honeysuckle) |
|---|---|
| Colour | Deep amber with a reddish cast, noticeably darker than clover or kāmahi. |
| Flavour | Malty and caramel-like, with a burnt-sugar edge and a long finish. Assertive — it stands up in strong tea and on sharp cheese. |
| Where | North Island native forest, particularly the central North Island, Te Urewera, Northland and the Coromandel, where rewarewa is common on bush margins. |
| Harvest | Late spring into early summer, around October to December, when the red bottlebrush-like flowers open. |
| Crystallises | Slowly. It tends to stay liquid longer than clover, eventually setting to a coarser grain. |
Worth knowing
- Rewarewa trees can reach 30 metres, and the flowers appear high in the canopy — hives are placed on bush margins rather than in dense forest.
- The colour alone is a reasonable check: a pale honey sold as rewarewa is worth asking about.
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.
- 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