Thyme honey
What is New Zealand thyme honey?
Thyme honey is made from wild thyme, a Mediterranean herb that naturalised across the dry hills of Central Otago after being introduced during the gold rush era. It is pungent and unmistakably herbaceous — aromatic, slightly medicinal, closer to Greek thyme honey than to anything else produced in New Zealand.
| From | Thymus vulgaris (wild thyme) |
|---|---|
| Colour | Mid-amber, sometimes with a greenish cast. |
| Flavour | Strongly aromatic and herbal, warm and resinous, with a lingering savoury finish. Polarising, and a favourite of people who find clover honey bland. |
| Where | Central Otago, principally around Alexandra, Cromwell and the Clutha valley, where wild thyme covers whole hillsides. |
| Harvest | Late spring into summer, roughly November to January, when the hills turn purple with thyme flower. |
| Crystallises | Slowly, to a coarse set. Often sold liquid. |
Worth knowing
- The thyme is naturalised rather than native — it spread from plantings during and after the Otago gold rush.
- A genuinely regional honey: the flavour is a direct result of Central Otago's dry continental climate.
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