Big Island Bees - Organic Honeys from the Big Island of Hawaii
Healthy bees make healthy honey, and some of the healthiest bees in the world are from Big Island Bees, located on the Big Island of Hawaii.
The Big Island is one of the last locations in the world not infected with the varroa mite, and Big Island Bees is the only large U.S. honey company that doesn’t administer antibiotics to their bees.
Operating in the pristine Hawaiian environment, the bees produce some of the finest organic honey we’ve tasted. The rare Ohia-Lehua blossom grows only in Hawaii, and produces a marvelously unique, light, floral taste. It matches wonderfully with green tea or blue cheese.
Wilelaiki Blossom has subtle spicy notes, and a flavor that the gourmet newsletter The Nibble called “a connoisseur's delight.” Terrific with vegetables and chai tea.
Find out why ten national publications featured Big Island Bee honey in 2007.
‘Ohi’a Lehua Blossom
According to Hawaiian myth, the gods transformed Lehua into a blossom in order to reunite her with her lover, ‘Ohi’a, who was turned into a tree by the vengeful volcano goddess Pele after ‘Ohi’a spurned her amorous advances. Picking a Lehua blossom allegedly causes rain, representing the tears Lehua sheds as a result of being separated from her lover.
- Flavor: Light & delicate
- Texture: Thick & creamy
- Hue: Light Golden
- Season: May to July
- Source: ‘Ohi’a Lehua blossoms in the mystical Ohi’a forest, high on Mauna Loa’s slopes
- Best with: Spread on toast, drizzled over pears and blue cheese, or mixed in green tea.
- Certified 100% organic
Wilelaiki Blossom
Our Wilelaiki honey is produced from the Christmasberry tree, which is native to Brazil and probably introduced to Hawaii at the turn of the 20th century. The Hawaiian name Wilelaiki originated from the kama’aina rancher and politician Willie Rice who saw a group of Hawaiian women stringing leis from the berries of the Christmasberry tree. He asked for a hat lei (worn by most paniolo) made from the berries, and from then on, he was always seen with these red berry lei. Hence: Wilelaiki (pronounced “Willie-Lie-Key”)
- Flavor: Ambrosial with a slight spice note
- Texture: Smoth & viscous
- Season: August to November
- Source: The blossoms of a Brazilian pepper tree called Wilelaiki, that grows abundantly near cliffs overlooking the turquoise Pacific,
- Best with: Drizzled on steamed carrots, used as a base for marinades, or mixed in chai or coffee.
- Certified 100% organic
Why Big Island Honey?
The quality of honey, like wine, is influenced by variety of important factors, but none more so than the blossom from which the honey is made. The flower is to honey as the grape is to wine. The sugar content of nectar varies from flower to flower, and is impacted greatly by weather. Therefore, each honey varietal has a different floral source, is from a certain vintage, and pairs with some foods better than others. Here is what makes our honey varietals different from what you will normally find on your grocery shelf:
It Is Produced from Rare Blossoms
The ‘Ohi’a Lehua blossom is only grown in Hawaii. Organic honey made from its nectar has a mild taste and creamy texture that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Hawaii is also one of the few locations in the world where Macadamia trees grow. And, the Christmasberry blossom, from which our organic Wilelaiki honey is made, is difficult to find outside of South America.
Our Honeys are Single-Floral
Do you prefer blended or varietal wine? Have you considered this question with respect to honey? Much of what is on grocery shelves is blended to provide a consistent (and we think, bland) taste. However, each of our three varieties of honey is made from the nectar of a single type of flower which carries straight through to the flavor of the honey. Our three single-floral honeys each look, taste and smell distinct. Click here to compare our three honey varietals.
Our Honey is Unheated and Unfiltered
Our organic honey is unheated and unfiltered to preserve the natural sugars and enzymes necessary for full-bodied flavor and complete nutrition. Much of the honey you will find on grocery shelves has been heated to extremely high temperatures and ultra-filtered to make it easier to handle and to extend its shelf life.
It’s Certified Organic Honey…
Our organic Lehua and Wilelaiki varietals meet the three main requirements to be organic: 1) Our nectar comes from flowers that are pesticide and insecticide free; 2) our bees are not chemically medicated and 3) we package our honey to meet organic standards.
Most honeys are not organic because bees in most parts of the world are infected with a mite and must be medicated with chemical repellants. Not ours! Hawaii’s isolation has protected our bees, ensuring that chemical medications haven’t been imparted on our honey.
…from the pristine island of Hawaii
Our bees forage for nectar in one of the most pristine places on the planet…the island of Hawaii. And, if it wasn’t enough that the environment was pure and natural, we take our bees to forage in some of the most remote and beautiful parts of the island…the lush ‘Ohi’a forest…on cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean…in macadamia nut tree groves…From those flowers, our bees collect pure, sweet nectar.
We are Honey Artisans!
To us, each jar of natural honey is like a work of art, taking months and painstaking care. At every stage, our 4th generation beekeeper focuses on quality and purity so you can enjoy the finest artisanal honey available.
Our Bees are Macrobiotic
In other words, they eat seasonally! Depending on the time of year, we move our bees to the areas where flowers are blooming (these areas are called “honey flows”) where they eat and collect ripe, seasonal nectar.
Because of the year round warm weather in Hawaii, there are always honey flows at different times of the year. Other apiaries, particularly those in cold climates, may feed their bees sugar solutions for part of the year. Our bees eat 100% pure flower nectar.
