On particularly hot and humid days, there are few drinks as refreshing as a chilled glass of honey. There are a variety of table honeys which are great for cooling down. It’s also much healthier than reaching for a can of soft drink.

Clover Honey is produced in large quantities in countries such as US, Canada and New Zealand. It’s produced by bees which feed on the nectar of clover. Waitemata Clover Honey from NZ is a blend of clover and wild blackberry, giving it a tangy taste. I find it to be the sweetest among the table honeys. It can be used in baking as a sugar substitute. Clover Honey has anti-aging properties as it has plenty of antioxidants and stimulates the production of alpha hydroxy acids which in skin rejuvenation.

Pohutukawa Honey is my favourite of all the table honeys as it has a slightly salty taste which doesn’t make it as sweet as the other honeys but it’s so fragrant. The Pohutukawa tree is known as NZ’s Christmas tree and it’s the whitest honey in the world. I love the colour as you can immediately discern it from the other types of honeys. It looks and tastes like butterscotch and is delicious when paired with sorbets and ice cream desserts.

Waitemata’s Multiflora Honey contains honeys unique to NZ such as Kamahi and Rewarewa (another of my favourites!). This honey makes a thirst quenching drink especially when the drink has been chilled for a few hours. It can also be used for cooking.

Last but not least, there’s Manuka Blend Honey which Waitemata describes as “a strong full flavoured honey from the native Manuka tree and some other honeys of New Zealand’s sub tropical forest.” This one has a herbal taste which is very pleasant to my palate.

Whichever table honey you choose, each one has its own distinctive and unmistakable taste and texture. Try mixing honey and aloe vera, it’s nutritious and so very tasty. Whenever I feel unwell, I will always have a hankering for honey as it’s a great non-alcoholic pick-me-up drink.

Waitemata Honeys are available at Les Floralies outlet at 1 Utama.