What actually makes Tasmanian honey different
Isolation, climate, and the strangest temperate rainforest in the southern hemisphere.
Written by
Dr. James Chen, food science
Tasmania is a 68,000 km² island that has been isolated from mainland Australia for 12,000 years. Two thirds of its honey-flowering species don’t grow anywhere else on earth. Leatherwood is endemic. So are most of the eucalypts that contribute to our prickly box and bushland blends.
The other variable is climate. The west coast — where the Tarkine sits — gets between 1,400 and 3,200mm of rain a year. Bee populations boom and crash with the weather; this is one reason single-origin Tasmanian honey often has higher antibacterial activity than equivalent species from drier states. Stress concentrates the chemistry.
About the author
Dr. James Chen, food science
Contributor
A storyteller from the family — sharing what we learn on the ridge, in the rainforest, and in the kitchen.
More from the journal
-
ScienceWhy your raw honey crystallised — and why that’s good
A short guide to the glucose, the temperature, and the science of crystals.
Jun 7 Read -
ScienceReading honey through a microscope
Pollen grains tell you where a hive worked. Here is what we found in this season's leatherwood.
Apr 24 Read -
ScienceHow we test every batch for purity
The seven things our labs check before a jar gets a label.
Apr 4 Read
Notes from the hive, in your inbox.
A monthly dispatch — what is in season, what we are learning, and the recipe we are eating this month.
One email a month. Unsubscribe anytime.