OUR HONEY

With the first drops of rain in early September, the mountain regions of Java Island experience a wonderful change of seasons…a time of flowering for many of the island’s fruit trees.  The air is thick with the varied perfumes from this sudden mass blossoming. An audible buzzing can be heard on the wind.  This is island honey season and our beloved bees are doing what they do best… pollinating and making honey.

Our single varietal tropical honeys are produced by traditional small-scale beekeepers on the island of Java using the rare native bee, Apis Sarana.  The bees are caringly moved into large fruit plantations during the seasonal flowering where the dominant nectar collected, and then processed into pure honey, can be controlled.  The result is a collection of rare honeys with incredible flavor and aroma that is perfect in drinks, spread on toast, glazed on meats or drizzled on desserts, fruits or cheeses.  Or, as we do at the office, just eat it by the spoonful!  Why dilute the divine?

Our honey is 100% pure and raw.  No cane sugar is added.  These are rare tropical varietal honeys at their best.  The volume produced is not large, so savor every drop…

Mango Blossom - A dark amber honey and a truly sensual experience. Mango Blossom honey reveals flavors of smoke, butter, black cherries and high notes of passion fruit. An incredibly exotic raw honey! Try serving with aged cheeses such as cheddar, blue cheeses and Parmigiano…Smear over pink grapefruits and citrus and grill for an incredibly fresh dessert…Drizzle over pancakes and waffles

Coffee Blossom - One of the lightest amber honeys we offer and a hit among fans of light western honey (i.e orange blossom, blackberry or clover ). The honey is truly fragrant with the aroma and flavor of citrus zest and starfruit. Add to cheese plates with mild, nutty flavored cheeses such as Asiago or Manchego. Toss with sea salt and lightly roasted nuts such as Walnuts, Marcona Almonds or Cashews. Also becomes a beautiful glaze for meats such as ham, duck breasts and short ribs when reduced with jerez vinegar, citrus zest and garlic…

Rambutan Blossom - From the flowers of the Rambutan Tree comes a honey with colors ranging from light to dark amber depending on the season. The honey has a fruity nose and bright flavors of sweet citrus. Drizzle over sliced green apples and serve with brie or for baking, try using in place of sugar to create subtly sweet scones and muffins…For hot drinks, spoon liberally into a pot of English Breakfast, Ceylon, Lemon or Ginger tea.

Lychee Blossom - A honey of golden hue and smooth silky texture. The buttery mouth feel is coupled with overtones of butterscotch, clover and citrus. Drizzle over or mix into fresh cheeses such as tangy chevres, fromage blanc, mascarpone and fresh sheep’s milk cheeses. Add spoonfuls to a steaming pot of spicy chai or mix into a bowl of thick Greek yogurt and add fresh fruit.

TROPICAL SPICED HONEYS

Tropical spiced honeys are a unique fusion of wild-crafted honey and traditional spices.  Traditionally used throughout Indonesia as natural remedies for common ailments, these mixes of sweet and spice is a perfect match to sweeten a mug of tea during the cold season.

Korintje Cinnamon Honey – We take our wild-crafted local honeys to create an exquisite and complex base honey, and then add a touch of Korintje Cinnamon.  This honey is perfect in tea or a mug of hot lemon water.

Alor Vanilla Bean Honey - We blend our exotic varietal honeys to create an exquisite and complex base honey, and then add a touch of Alor Vanilla Bean to create a rich and decadent honey elixir.  It is perfect for drizzling on top of desserts, teas or coffee.

WILD JUNGLE HONEY FROM BORNEO

When we can get this honey from the highlands of Borneo, it’s a party on the farm! This is probably the most luscious, sensuous and delectable honey we have ever had. Period.Made from an unknown secret recipe of rainforest nectars collected by Apis Dorsata, the largest honeybee in the world. While this bee has never been domesticated, and is rare in its native rainforest habitat, indigenous peoples in Borneo and beyond have a tradition of “honey hunting” high in the treetops. Hunters free-climb the giant trees (often 40 meters above the forest floor) and amongst a swarm of buzzing massive bees the size of green olives, they collect this divine element.

When will you know we have it in stock?  Just keep checking back from time to time…

Sustaining the Honey Love

While hunting for wild honey in the tree canopy is a high potential secondary forest livelihood that promises to reduce the destruction of these threatened biomes, Big Tree Farms has learned that the harvest of these rare combs must also be handled with an eye to sustainability. The bees do not produce hives but simply build a single comb on the underside of rainforest tree branches and hang and buzz there peacefully. Traditional honey hunters cut away as much of the comb as possible but this is akin to over-harvesting and reduces the health and size of the colony.

Big Tree Farms has started an education program for wild honey collectors that teaches the mantra “Food not Brood!”…When harvesters cut more than the back 20% of a comb of Giant Bees it causes damage to the colony brood and the bees focus is distracted from honey production to rebuilding damaged brood cells. If however the harvester only takes the excess comb (back 20%), the bees quickly rebuild this excess and harvesters can return twice monthly to the same colony.