Honey don't jiggle, jiggle, it pours
Raw, floral, flavoured and more, here are my top picks
I am Winnie the Pooh when it comes to my love for honey. I can eat a jar with a spoon and it's my go-to to add to everything from salad dressings, hot tea, cold tea, sherbets and sometimes even coffee (do not try this at home). One of the questions I get a lot is, where to find preservative-and additive-free, real honey that isn't molten sugar. And so, I set out to find just that. Backed with research and experience, here are the best honey brands to stock up your pantry with.
Maaticha
The term 'single estate' is no longer a catchphrase, and neither exclusively reserved for cacao beans and coffee, because today, it's relevant for honey too. Homegrown label Maaticha has tapped into this market and is a leading producer of organic honey. From a monofloral honey, which has mixed sweet notes to a tulsi variant that is sourced from bees feeding on tulsi-flower nectar, and wild jamun honey collected responsibly from bees feeding on jamun and wild flower, this brand has it all.
Their goal is to promote small farmers and tribal families to share their harvests with a global audience.
To order: visit Maaticha
Call on: 9820280917
Madhudhara Farm
Loaded with pistachios, almonds and cashew nuts, Madhudhara honey is chock-o-block with dried fruits and is best enjoyed as a spoonful added to your breakfast bowl. What makes this brand stand out is the research that they conduct to preserve its authenticity and make it sustainable. In fact, they employ methods popular in New Zealand to collect honey, providing separate compartments to collect honey and for the bees to lay eggs. This ensures that there are no impurities or residue eggs in the product.
To order: visit Madhudhara Honey
Call on: 96621 66770
Zizira
North East India is a treasure trove of wild food and produce and one brand that is putting a spotlight on ingredients for the region is Zizira.Their honey varieties include flavours like bhut jolokia, turmeric twist, stingless bee honey, ginger-infused honey and more. Each jar of Zizira's honey is packed with unique flavour and is perfect for daily cooking and in hot teas.
To order: visit Zizira
Call on: 8119840256
Brawny Bear
Mumbai-based brand Brawny Bear is the ultimate solution for all vegan honey-lovers (no, honey naturally is not vegan). The fun label is committed to creating a healthy and plant-based version of the much-loved sweetener and does so by using dates as the key ingredient.
To order: visit Brawny Bear
Call on: 93242 54427
Moonshine Meadery
Mead is an alcoholic beverage that uses fermented honey. But Moonshine Meadery believes that a good mead needs good quality honey as well. Sourcing honey from bee-keepers across the length of the country, they procure and sell a range of pure and organic honey like Acacia Honey, Mustard Honey under the name Moonshine Honey Project.
To order: visit Moonshine Meadery
Call on: 77458 48660
So honey, what's going to be your pick of the lot?