Northeast India has many kinds of honey. They differ in the bees that make them, the plants the bees feed on and how the honey is collected. This post describes the main types. NE Origins sells only one of them at present, stingless-bee honey, which is covered last.
Honeycomb honey
A honeycomb is the wax structure bees build to store honey and pollen and to raise their young. It is made of hexagonal wax cells. Honey eaten straight from the comb has had no processing at all. The comb may also contain bee pollen and propolis, a resin bees use to seal the hive. The wax itself is edible and can be chewed.
Wild forest honey
Wild forest honey comes from bees nesting deep in forests rather than on farms. Because the bees feed on wild plants that flower at different times of year, the colour and flavour change from season to season. It usually has a stronger smell and taste than farmed honey. In some forest honey the bees collect honeydew, a sweet liquid left on leaves by sap-feeding insects, as well as flower nectar. This is called honeydew honey.
Khasi mandarin honey
This honey comes from Meghalaya, where beehives are placed near orchards of Khasi mandarin oranges. When the trees flower, the bees feed mostly on orange blossom, and the honey picks up a light citrus flavour.
Multifloral honey
Multifloral honey is made from the nectar of many different flowers, as opposed to monofloral honey, which comes mainly from one plant. Its colour and taste depend on what was flowering, so two jars from the same area can taste different. In traditional practice it is often taken with warm water for a sore throat.
Rock bee honey
Rock bees (Apis dorsata) build large open combs on cliffs and tall trees, often at high altitude. Collecting this honey is difficult and is traditionally done by honey hunters who climb to the hives.
Local apiary honey
Beekeepers in the region also keep bees in boxes near farms and small forests. What happens after harvest varies. Some beekeepers sell the honey raw, while others heat and filter it. Our post on raw honey explains the difference.
Stingless-bee honey (putka ko maha)
Stingless bees are small bees that nest in tree hollows and wall cavities. In Sikkim their honey is called putka ko maha. Each colony produces only a small amount, so the honey is scarce and sold in small jars. It is thinner than common honey, with a sour-sweet taste.
A note on infants
Honey of any kind should not be given to children under one year old.
For more on the honey we sell, see Stingless Bee Honey (Putka ko Maha): What It Is and How It Tastes.
