​Why we love honey (and you should too)

​Why we love honey (and you should too)
 
Honey is a staple in many homes around the world as a sweet toast topping, a baking ingredient, a relief for sore throats, and even a sweetener for teas and coffees. It’s the only food product in the world that will never spoil in its pure form, and of course, it’s utterly delicious.
 
And, as honey is made by bees, it’s even more special than you might think. There are 28 native bee species in New Zealand, 925 in Australia, and there is a global total of approximately 20,000 bee species around the world, living in all corners of the globe except for Antarctica.
 
Sadly, a recent parasite has been devastating the honey bee population around New Zealand, leaving scientists and beekeepers alike extremely worried and scrambling for answers and measures to halt this decimation in bee numbers. So far, scientists have been reluctant to links these disappearances to cases of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that have been seen in Europe and North America.
 
Fortunately, we can still find plenty of bees and honey in New Zealand.
 
One of those suppliers is Earthbound Honey, an organic operation found at Bethells Beach just outside of Auckland. The hives here are dotted along the coast near to thriving bushland full of wildflowers, pohutukawa trees, and Manukau forests. Recently, we’ve started making a stop at the wonderful Earthbound Honey hives as part of our day tours to the Waitakere Ranges.
 
Another of New Zealand’s most famous honey names is Manuka Honey. The name comes from the trees the bees pollinate to create the honey, and it’s known for both being a particularly tasty food product, but also for medicinal purposes such as for being anti-bacterial an anti-inflammatory. You’ll also often see manuka honey products throughout New Zealand such as lip balms, hand creams, and soaps. 

Manuka honey has many health benefits some of which include antiviral and anti inflammatory properties.