There are just so many Kinds of Honey!

You will no doubt be thinking but there are so many types of honey which one do they want me to pick up! Just look at all those jars!

A constant source of inspiration to me is the author Joe Traynor who wrote "Honey the Gourmet Medicine". He has totally inspired me.

I was once totally ignorant of all the types of honey there are available to buy, however I learned a lot when researching many years ago natural health treatments especially for my daughter who suffered with the most dreadful asthma and excema.

This is just one reason why I am so passionate about the health benefits of honey here.

Please don’t reach for the cheapest jar on the shelf or the one that looks the prettiest as this type of honey is NOT honey, it’s a fake and one that bee keepers refer to as "crankcase oil".

You wouldn’t dream of buying rotten eggs, fruit, meat or vegetables or any kind of rotten food produce so don’t be fooled into buying those kinds of honey.

If you take the time to read the labels on honey jars you will easily be able to discover if it is a good honey or not. If there is nothing added to the ingredients in the jar, it is just pure honey and this is the best you can buy.

Organic Honey is always readily available in stores of good quality, however please choose wisely and not just because the label says it is!

Raw Honey is an amazing treat especially if you can buy this from a local beekeeper, try to find one that may live nearby.

This article explores just a few of some of the excellent types of honey available to us, however, there are more Honey Varieties than you can possible imagine!

This one, with a high UMF more than 16+ is the best kind of honey for medicinal use has amazing healing qualities and is recognised as such in today’s medical world.

Acacia: Depending on the nectar source the taste can vary. This type of honey is popular in America, Italy, France and China.

Buckwheat: Found in several places worldwide with a strong colour and flavour. Particularly good as a dark treacle substitute in cooking and baking and said to be the best for coughs.

Clover: Found in Northern tier states and most peoples favourite type of honey to eat straight from the jar.

Heather: Found mainly in Scotland and Ireland. This kind of honey is thick and dark with a very distinctive flavour.

Lavender.....Oh My Goodness.....I just love this flavour. My mouth is watering just thinking about all of them! This one is very popular in Europe and is found mainly in Italy, the UK and France.

Macadamia: This type of honey is prized by many because it comes from Hawaii.

Orange: A very distinctive flavour loved by many and mainly comes from California and Florida although famous in Spain.

Raspberry: Yet another great type of honey which gives a punch and wonderful flavour to cakes and desserts. It is a high quality honey famous from the Northern states of America.

Thyme: This kind of honey is the one that was highly praised by the ancient Romans. Most famous for being grown in North East states of America and Greece.

Borage Honey: From the UK and New Zealand. This is one of those rare honey's kept in the fridge because when cold it is chewy like toffee.

Kamahi: This is a sacred honey to the Maori people of New Zealand. Golden in colour with a smokey yet buttery taste.

Fireweed: So named as it is the first plant to appear after an area has been burned. It is delicate, light in colour with a lovely buttery flavour.

Onion honey: A very strong aroma and good in savoury dishes. Grown wherever the onion grows and I have yet to track a jar down.

Longan honey: Also known as Dragons Eye Fruit. It has a sweet almost peachy type flavour and is found in China, Thailand and Vietnam.

Sage: This one deserves a special mention as it is reputed to be one of the finest kinds of honey there is and originates from California.

"Quote" I well remember the first taste I had of the mountain sage honey. Mr Langstroth was visiting me at the time and his exclamations were much like my own, only that he declared that it was almost identical in flavour with the famed honey of Hymettus, which has been celebrated in both prose and poetry for ages past, was gathered from the mountain thyme and the botany tells us that thyme and sage are closely related." Unquote"

Then there is the wildflower type of honey. The taste will differ greatly depending on the source of nectar the honey bees have used.

This type of honey is found everywhere. By experimenting with the flavours and textures of different kinds of honey you will open your taste buds up to gastronomical delights and feel healthier for eating the honeyon a daily basis.

The above list is just a small selection of all the kinds of honey’s there are and it is always a good idea to take some time when choosing yours.

You will discover many reasons for the uses of honey. I have many of them listed on my website so please stay a while and take a look around.

I live in the UK but I have a fascination and passion for honey and honey bees in particular America. The honey industry is huge over there (or here depending where you’re reading this).

I understand how CCD is affecting the food crops situation and that billions of $s will be lost. We all need to be aware and do our bit to save them.

This website is built to promote not only the health benefits of honey but ALL the benefits of honey and everything to do with the importance of honey bees to us and our beautiful planet, including encouragement for growing our very own honey bee gardens.

A great way to help the bees and also ensure there will be plenty of kinds of honey around for a long time yet. Stop worrying about the weeds in the garden, they're a great source of nectar and some make brilliant honey such as star thistle honey.

Joe Traynor makes me melt with delight when he speaks about the blossoms that grow in California and of course each one will give us the delights of all the types, kinds and varities of honey we can and will discover over time.

Stay around a while longer and I’ll write some of what Joe wrote for you to read which I hope will inspire you to sample many kinds of honey.

"Quote" Although most visitors to California avoid our Central Valley (primarily because visitors generally come during the heat of the summer), there is no more beautiful scene in California or anywhere else, than orchard bloom in February and March.

Almonds bloom in mid-February producing vistas of white almond blossoms as far as the eye can see. Peaches, prunes, cherries and apples bloom after almonds and provide a similar dazzling show.

Thousands trek to New England each fall to view the fall colours. The equally spectacular spring colours in California’s San Joaquin Valley is one of the worlds best kept secrets.

Autumn colours are unquestionably beautiful but there is also an attendant sombreness as one senses the days getting shorter. In contrast spring blossoms rejuvenate both body and soul filling one with the sense that all things are possible.

Bees and beekeepers are especially attuned to the seasons. Talk to a beekeeper in April and you’ll find a buoyant optimist and the bees will have a happy hum. "Unquote".

So to all the beekeepers, honey bees, organic honey farmers, the local hobbyist a huge thank you to you all for producing such wonderful varieties and kinds of honey.

I really must visit New England one day, perhaps I’ll meet a honey bee farmer who will sweep me off my feet and make all my dreams come true!!!

And next time someone asks you to pick up a jar of honey, honey, you will be very much more in tune with the kinds of honey there are available to you.

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