This is a non-exhaustive list of raw honey types across South Africa:
- Acacia honey
- Aloe honey
- Alfafa honey / Lucerne honey
- Buchu honey
- Fynbos honey
- Orange blossom honey
- Eucalyptus honey / Bluegum honey
- Citrus honey
- Macadamia honey
- Sunflower honey
- Litchi honey
- Lucerne honey
- Wildflower honey / Wild blossom honey
We intend expanding this article in the future with more details on each honey variety. Read on to learn more, or buy raw honey types online in SA.
Acacia honey
Notably light in colour, flavour, taste, and sweetness, acacia honey is gathered by bees from the fragrant flowers of acacia trees and shrubs. Indigenous to Southern Africa, Central America, and Australia, these thorny plants grow favorably in our local veld and savannah biomes.
Acacia varieties tend to be evergreen and with copious flowers. Hence, not typically seasonal and acacia honey should be available year-round in South Africa. Notably, acacia honey does not crystalize quickly due to its molecular structure. It takes a long time and therefore better suited for drizzling and use as-is whilst in liquid state.
Aloe honey
Aloe honey is notable for several reasons:
Aloe plants, of which there are about 150 different species in SA, mostly bloom during winter. This gives bees a limited time to harvest pollen from aloe flowers and produce aloe honey. Accordingly, aloe is a valuable honey source during South African winters, when many other plants don’t flower and other honey varieties can’t be produced. Learn how to help the bees during winter.
According to the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, the shape of some aloe flowers also pose a challenge for bees. The long and slender calyx tubes of the flower are hard for bees to navigate through. A beehive thus produces lower to average quantities of aloe honey, compared to other flora.
The honey itself stands out, too. The colour is typically whitish, light and pale. A stark contrast to most honey types in South Africa and abroad! Aloe honey is also a favoured choice for creamed honey, thanks to its high water content.
Alfafa honey / Lucerne honey
Alfafa honey originates from flowers of the alfafa plant. The alfafa plant is known as lucerne in South Africa and is mainly grown as crops for animal use, such as hay, animal feed, and silage. Although alfafa is an American term, it is used by some South African honey brands instead of the word ‘lucerne’. Perhaps for export reasons.
As honey, alfafa is typically sweet and light in taste and colour. Unlike some other South African honey types, it will not overpower other flavours when used in cooking and baking, making it a good choice as a sugar substitute.
Fynbos honey
Originates from the Fynbos biome of the Cape Floral Kingdom in the Western Cape, South Africa. Taste, colour, and consistency tends to vary between seasons and beehive locations within the Fynbos region. Expect light yellow to dark amber in colour. Generally floral in taste. Unlike other honey types where a plant species is specified, Fynbos honey refers to the region, hence bees will be collecting pollen from a variety of different plants inside and possibly outside the area.
Litchi honey
Honey from flowering litchi trees. Very seasonal with seasonal availability. Delicate, somewhat rosey hints in the taste. Generally a dark shade of yellow to amber in colour. Might find at Woolworths and organic markets near litchi farms around November to January.
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