Like wine, the taste, texture, and colour of raw honey depends largely on the region and time of year in which it was collected, which makes fynbos honey–made by busy Capensis honeybees in South Africa’s famously beautiful fynbos regions–extra special. But there are many reasons why fynbos honey should be celebrated not just here in South Africa, but as one of the best honeys made worldwide. Here’s a few:
South Africa is home to the most biodiverse floral kingdom on the planet
Scientists have categorised the world into six major floral kingdoms, each with their own distinct flora, and the Cape Floral Kingdom is one of them. Not only is it the only of the six floral kingdoms to be contained entirely within the borders of a single country, it’s also considered the most diverse, boasting almost 9,000 species of fynbos in an area of just one million hectares! And because honey carries many of the properties of the plants from which it was produced, every teaspoon in fynbos honey is naturally infused with the unique properties of our famous fynbos.
Fynbos honey is a truly South African experience–made by indigenous bees from indigenous plants
About 6,000 fynbos species found in the Cape Floral Region are endemic to South Africa, which means you can’t find them growing naturally anywhere else in the world. So the flavours and properties found in fynbos honey are distinctly South African and can’t be reproduced anywhere else. When you couple that with the fact that fynbos honey is gathered by Capensis honeybees–our very special honeybee subspecies found only here in South Africa (and the only subspecies in the world that can reproduce without the help of a queen)–and cared for and bottled by South African beekeepers, that makes fynbos honey an authentic South African experience from bee to bottle.
Thousands of taste, texture and colour combinations for you to try
Because fynbos itself is so diverse, and varies depending on the climate, topography and soil of different regions in South Africa, fynbos honey gathered from fields just a few kilometres from each other will be vastly different, made from entirely different combinations of fynbos species. So whether you’re in the Overberg or the Stellenbosch mountains, up the West Coast or down as south as you can go, your fynbos honey will look, taste, smell and even spread differently. That makes every bottle of fynbos honey totally unique (and makes us want to try them all!).
Enjoy all the health benefits of raw honey
Raw honey isn’t just tasty–it’s fantastic for your physical health. It’s naturally antioxidant, antimicrobial and antibacterial, great for your heart, brain and digestion, plus it’s a proven anti-inflammatory. Rumour has it that eating local honey can even help prevent hay fever (although the science on this one has yet to be proven). Fynbos honey carries all of these natural benefits, unlike honey imported from overseas and sold in supermarkets, which is typically heated and filtered, and contains tons of sugars and additives that strip the honey of its naturally occurring wellness properties.
You’re supporting fellow South Africans with every purchase
With every bottle of fynbos honey you purchase from your local beekeeper (or from a retailer like Wellness Warehouse that only carries raw honey from ethical local beekeepers), you’re supporting a South African trying to make a living for themselves and their families–and right now, supporting our neighbours is more important than ever. And because good beekeepers care for both their bees and their land, you’re also helping safeguard the future of South Africa’s honeybees and fynbos with every spoonful of sweet South African honey you enjoy.
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Find out what all the hype is about! Visit our online shop to stock up on your fynbos honey for the cosy autumn and winter months.
Photo by Gareth Williams | Instagram: @gjh_wiiliams
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