Western Australia is blessed with some of the best regions in the world to raise bees and harvest honey.
Our remoteness means we are free from many pests and diseases that cripple the beekeeping industry in other parts of the world.
What makes Western Australian honey particularly awesome though is its unique flora.
In this post, we list (in no particular order) some of the best and most popular Western Australian honey.
1. Coastal Wildflower honey
This is one of the most common and popular Western Australian honey types found in the southwest region of WA.
In essence, this is due to the abundance and reliability of the wildflowers which grow on the coastal plain regions in the southwest of WA.
Coastal wildflower honey is sweet and florally. It is typically made up of a variety of different flowers from shrubs and trees native to the Western Australian coastline. It is generally light to amber in colour.
While coastal wildflower honey is relatively quick to crystallise, it’s very versatile and is cheaper honey so we find it gets consumed quickly.
Being an often desolate and harsh environment, our remote coastline areas don’t always seem the most likely place for an abundant supply of quality nectar. That said, in late Winter and early Spring our coastlines burst to life and produce very well most seasons.
Perhaps it’s the fresh coastal air coming off the Indian Ocean that makes this Western Australian honey so fresh and sweet, either way, it is common honey in the region and certainly one of the more popular choices.
2. Jarrah Honey
No post about Western Australian honey would be complete without including Jarrah honey.
Arguably the most well-known of the Western Australian monofloral honey varieties, the honey from the Jarrah tree is world-renowned.
Jarrah honey is mono-floral honey coming from the nectar produced by the Jarrah tree (Eucalyptus marginata) which is native to southwest Western Australia.
While Jarrah is great tasting honey, its high value is derived from its claimed beneficial health properties.
Jarrah honey is high in anti-microbial activity which is said to act as an antiseptic and provide medicinal benefits.
When shopping for Jarrah honey, look for the TA rating that should be on the packaging. Many other Western Australian honey varieties have a TA rating as well, so keep an eye out for these.
What does TA rating mean concerning honey?
The TA rating of honey displays how much bioactivity there is in the honey, with TA standing for ‘total activity.
This is not dissimilar to the UMF/MGO ratings that Manuka honey is given however, the TA rating shows how much Peroxide Activity as well as Non-Peroxide Activity there is in the honey.
The higher the TA rating of a honey, the higher the anti-bacterial and anti-microbial strength of the honey.
The higher the TA the greater the anti-microbial and anti-bacterial strength, with this being acquired from natural enzymes and chemicals present within the honey.
Jarrah honey is a dark ambered coloured honey and is described to have a caramel-like taste. Interestingly, Jarrah honey rarely if ever crystallises and this is due to having a high percentage of fructose, which give it a lower overall Glycaemic Index than a lot of other kinds of honey.
Whether you use it to treat wounds, burns, sore throats or just to eat as a table honey, Jarrah honey is certainly valuable honey and is deserving of the accolades it receives.
It is often known as the ‘king’ of Western Australian honey due to being widely known and popularised.
3. Marri Honey
Marri honey is mono-floral honey coming from the Marri tree (Corymbia calophylla) which is native to southwest Western Australia. It is deep amber and exhibits a warm, complex fruity flavour profile.
What is the best honey in Australia?
The best honey in Australia is the Western Australian Marri honey. Also known locally as ‘Redgum’ honey, this should not be confused with the Redgum honey from the eastern states of Australia.
Why do we consider Marri honey to be the best honey?
Well, for us it is a clear favourite based on availability, flavour and health benefits.
In our area, it is a fairly reliable honey crop that we can harvest from most seasons.
Marri honey can, like Jarrah honey, have a high TA rating as well. This means this fellow Western Australian honey shares similar anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties and has some potential medicinal benefits.
Not only this, Marri honey tastes great too. It takes a fairly long time to crystallise and can be used for a wide variety of uses such as cooking, making mead and with cheese platters.
4. Wandoo Honey
Wandoo honey is a monofloral Western Australian honey that is produced from the Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo) trees found in southwest WA.
It is also commonly known as White Gum honey as well and is very flavoursome honey. Wandoo honey can be described as having a sort of toffee or cotton candy type of flavour with some even referring to it as having a butterscotch flavour.
The flavour of Wandoo honey makes it quite popular. We recommend serving it as part of a charcuterie board or food platter.
4. Karri Honey
Another exclusive Western Australian honey is Karri honey.
Karri honey is a monofloral honey that comes from the nectar produced by the Karri tree (Eucalyptus diversicolor). This honey is light in colour and has a delicate sweet flavour.
The Karri tree generally grows to a height of around sixty metres, however, it has been known to grow to a height of ninety metres!
Interestingly the karri tree has a very infrequent flowering cycle and tends to only produce a harvestable honey crop every six years or so.
This scarcity in availability makes Karri honey quite valuable and coupled with its great taste, it is in high demand.
If you’re looking for honey that is rare and highly sought after, then Karri honey is Western Australian honey that is worth getting hold of – if you can!
5. Blackbutt Honey
Blackbutt honey comes from the Blackbutt tree (Eucalyptus patens) of southwest Western Australia. This is a monofloral honey that is medium to dark in colour and has a full-bodied flavour similar to golden syrup with molasses tones.
This is quite different to most other Western Australian honey and needs to be tasted to appreciate how different it is from other Eucalypt kinds of honey.
A favourite for many, Blackbutt honey is another Western Australian honey that is sometimes hard to come by. The blackbutt tree only flowers biannually and it can often go many years without producing a viable honey crop.
As is so common with Western Australian honey, scarcity of certain varieties drives means the demand often exceeds supply, making blackbutt honey relatively rare and valuable honey.
If you’re looking for something a little different, definitely give Blackbutt honey a try.
6. Canola Honey
Certainly not everyone’s favourite, canola honey is arguably the cheapest honey on the Western Australian honey market.
Taking advantage of the abundant flowers of canola plants in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region, many beekeepers use these Winter blossoms to build up their hives strengths before Spring.
This build-up period for the bees sees them pack away a lot of honey that is typically harvested before moving the hives onto native flora.
It can be important for beekeepers to take this canola off their hives early as it crystallises very quickly, sometimes even while still in the honeycomb itself.
Some honey producers take advantage of the quick crystallisation of canola honey and use it to make creamed honey.
Canola honey is light in colour and has a slight buttery taste with some describing it as having a cabbagey aroma.
While many beekeepers would argue it should not make this list, it scrapes in simply due to its ability to produce creamed honey, its abundance and for being budget-friendly.
7. Suburban Multi-floral Honey
While commercial Western Australian honey producers are lucky to have many millions of acres to harvest wild honey, the suburban beekeepers of WA are blessed too.
The Mediterranean climate of WA’s southwest region lends itself well to year-round beekeeping.
Bees can remain active all year, and while they do slow down in Winter, the urban regions of WA are abundant with different blossoms appearing year-round.
Due to this wide variety of different flora in urban areas, urban honey is always unique and various by the seasons. One month honey could be light and sweet, the next it could be a deep amber and very floral.
There are reported to be additional health benefits of consuming honey that is local to your area as well.
It can be interesting sampling ultra-local honey and we recommend you find and sample honey from your local area or a neighbouring postcode.
Where to buy raw honey in Perth, Western Australia
WA is home to an increasing number of beekeepers. Chances are there is a beekeeper in your area that can supply you with some local honey. If not, you’ll find it available for sale by some of the larger producers who distribute their honey all over Western Australia, nationally and abroad.
Conclusion
Thanks for taking the time to find out more about the various range of Western Australian honey. If you feel this would be of interest to others, then feel free to share