Why Should I Eat Marri Honey?
Marri honey (sometimes also called Red Gum honey) is an active, healing honey from Australia. It’s produced by bees busying themselves with the nectar of the delicate, creamy white flowers of the Eucalyptus Camaldulenisis tree (which is also known as the River Red Gum tree) that is native to many parts of Australia.
The River Red Gum tree is a common tree and is routinely used for its timber. Despite this, Marri honey is a valuable, prized asset. This is because the tree only flowers for two months, in December and January, every two years, leaving a short window of opportunity for local bees to produce Marri honey.
Even then, how much each tree actually flowers is unpredictable. Marri honey is therefore considered a rare, luxury product.
If the flowers are abundant during the flowering season, they produce a lot of pollen, which is welcomed by nearby bees. It keeps them and their hives thriving, and even allows them to store spare pollen for when it becomes scarce.
A good flowering season is good news for us humans too, as Marri honey tastes amazing and has many health benefits.
What does Marri honey taste like?
Marri honey has a beautifully clear, rich golden colour with a smooth, mild honey flavour. It has a less aromatic taste than Jarrah honey (another Australian active, healing honey).
With a relatively low level of glucose (around 20%) and a higher level of fructose (around 80%), Marri honey tastes less sweet than other honeys. Since honey is a natural product, it’s normal for these levels to fluctuate slightly. But on the whole, being less sweet makes it ideal for reaping the health benefits without the intense sugary highs and lows.
Like all honey, Marri honey also contains water. This water, along with the glucose and fructose, are all in a constant state of movement with the proportions of each constantly changing, albeit to very small degrees.
Again, like all honeys, Marri honey can develop small crystals. This will depend on the temperature that the honey is stored at and the relative proportions of fructose and glucose.
It’s important to know that crystallisation isn’t a sign of poor quality honey. In fact, it often occurs more commonly at cooler temperatures in high quality honey that is less processed, such as Necta & Hive honey. If a honey crystallises, it doesn’t affect the taste, quality or safety.
Necta & Hive 100% Unpasteurised Marri Wild honeycomb 15+ TA is referred to as ‘thixotropic’ in consistency. Thixotropic means that it has a firm consistency if it remains still but if it is moved or stirred it will become thinner and runnier.
Total Activity, a measure of the antimicrobial potency of a honey
Just like Jarrah honey, Marri honey is an active, healing honey. All active, healing honeys have a Total Activity, or TA, rating. A honey with a TA rating of 10 and above, has potent antimicrobial properties.
All Necta & Hive honeys are independently tested for their TA rating. We publish our lab results so that our customers know we’re completely transparent and honest about the power of our honey.
The health benefits of Marri honey
Necta & Hive 100%Unpasteurised Marri Wild honeycomb has a TA rating of 15+, meaning that it’s effective at inhibiting microbial growth. This means that it can inhibit the growth of bacteria, say in an infected skin wound, viruses, for example a viral sore throat, or yeast as is the case with a candida, or thrush, infection.
Simply eating Marri honeycomb each day at the first sign of a cold can help to reduce the severity and longevity of the cold.
Marri honey also has natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which helps to support a healthy immune system and good overall health. It also supports a healthy gut, which scientists are now discovering has benefits for the wider body and even our mental health.
Enjoying Marri honey and its benefits
Necta & Hive 100% Unpasteurised Marri Wild honeycomb 15+ TA is the most indulgent way of eating pure, sticky honey with added texture.
