Once a cheap and anonymous product, Jarrah honey is now up to a $75 per kilogram top-rated honey variety, with an astounding range of applications and benefits. This unique and rare honey is causing quite a buzz in the food, cosmetic, and clinical industry due to its reputation as a health elixir and liquid gold.
If you are wondering how you still haven’t heard about it, don’t fret- jarrah honey is exclusive to one part of the world and therefore is quite rare in other regions. This new superfood is produced by bees foraging Jarrah trees (Eucalyptus Marginata) endemic to the pristine stretches of Western Australia.
Dr. Rob Manning, Ph.D., a former researcher for Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Food who spent three decades studying Australian jarrah honey told Vogue that this was once a cheap honey “prior to the discovery of its antimicrobial properties, it’s now $30 per kilogram because of the demand and limited quantities available.”
Read on to learn more about Jarrah honey’s characteristics, its taste, and health benefits. We’ll also talk about the prices and the best places to buy Jarrah honey.
What Does Jarrah Honey Taste Like?
A medium to dark amber in color with a rich nutty malt taste, jarrah honey has a delicate, smooth, and full-bodied flavor that many honey producers consider as one of the best-tasting Australian honey types with a thick consistency.
With a taste like caramel brown sugar, it has an aftertaste similar to dried longan fruit. This monofloral honey has a sweet and syrupy taste but it is less sweet than other honey types given its low glucose and high fructose content, making it resistant to crystallization.
What are the Benefits of Jarrah Honey?
Jarrah Honey has one of the highest medicinal profiles among all kinds. It’s a unique, high-quality honey type highly prized among honey producers.
Jarrah honey is a superfood with various health benefits. It’s been an excellent therapeutic option for indigenous Australians who first found it in Western Australia’s pristine forests.
The wide range of Jarrah honey’s medicinal properties come from its active enzymes, which the bees extract from the Jarrah flower nectars. Jarrah honey is graded based on its levels of antibacterial enzymes, determined in a lab. This index, called “Total Activity,” shows the honey’s enzyme activity levels. TA comes in multiples of 5, with higher numbers representing more medicinal benefits.
So, look for high TA numbers and especially raw, unheated honey to make sure it has retained all its natural properties.
Often called Australia’s healing honey, Jarrah honey is rich in minerals like Potassium, Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium, and many others, contributing to its high antimicrobial qualities.
Here are some other important health benefits found in Jarrah honey:
Active Healing Agent and Disinfectant
The high antioxidant levels in Jarrah honey make it an ideal wound healing agent.
Jarrah honey promotes collagen production in the skin and helps with a host of conditions, including burns, sunburns, skin infections, acne, and wrinkles.
Due to its low water levels, Jarrah honey can be highly effective as a wound dressing to sterilize the wound and prevent infection. It’s also a perfect choice for treating Coli and staphylococcus infections. It can even be used as a natural remedy for treating nasty infections such as MRSA.
If you’re not using it topically, make sure you mix the honey with water. Dilution enhances Jarrah honey’s ability as a disinfectant by increasing its hydrogen peroxide levels.
Moreover, it’s a powerful remedy that fights microbes in the throat and relieves a persistent cough.
Antifungal Agent
Jarrah honey contains high levels of hydrogen peroxide, making it a potent antifungal remedy. According to a 2011 study, Jarrah honey has the most powerful antibacterial properties among all types of honey. Other studies have found that it can fight different candida species and skin fungi.
Excellent Alternative to Sugar
Compared to other honey varieties, Jarrah honey has a lower glycemic index since it contains more fructose. This means diabetic patients can use it as a substitute for table sugar. And because the body absorbs fructose more slowly than glucose, Jarrah honey is less likely to cause sudden falls in insulin levels.
However, diabetic patients should take precautions when using honey as it does contain different levels of sugar and carbohydrate. Consult your doctor before replacing sugar with honey.
Heals Stomach Problems
Helicobacter pylori is a bacteria that affects the stomach and causes gastritis and ulcers in the stomach. Jarrah honey’s antibiotic and antimicrobial effects can heal the ulcers this bacteria causes.
Where Can I Buy Jarrah Honey?
Since Jarrah honey is exclusive to Australia, it may not be easy to find in other countries.
However, it’s not impossible since most producers ship their products outside Australia.
Here are some notable producers that include Jarrah honey
Swan Valley Honey is a honey producer in Western Australia, specializing in various regional honey types, including Jarrah honey. They produce raw, unheated honey to make sure it retains all its health benefits.
Fewster’s Farm is another Australia-based honey producer that offers Jarrah honey with different TA ratings. It also produces raw organic honey as well as mixtures of Jarrah honey with other honey types.
Honey for Life produces high TA Jarrah honey in West Australian forests. They have a 5-star rating from reviews of their product. Honey for Life also provides laboratory testing results for their honey.
How much Does Jarrah Honey Typically Cost?
Jarrah honey is one of the most expensive honey varieties globally, given its limited supply. Prices vary according to TA ratings, with higher ratings typically being more costly. A Jarrah honey bottle with a 10+ TA (Total Activity) rating can cost up to $40/pound, while 30+ TAs cost up to $60/pound.
It is worth shopping around online the Honey for Life, Jarrah Honey is certified at TA 40+ and at the time of writing this is $30 for a 500 gram (1.1 pounds) jar.
Some producers offer lower prices in higher quantities and free shipping.
Looking for more different and interesting honey varieties? We have done a ton of research for you. If you are interested the article is called, Honey Varieties You Should Discover.
In What Locations Is Jarrah Honey Produced?
Western Australia is the largest state in the country, home to the magnificent Jarrah trees. Jarrah honey is a highly unique varietal only found in the protected forests of Western Australia. The trees grow in the Jarrah forest, covering an area from Gingin (north of Perth) to Albany in the south.
They grow in various climatic conditions, from Gingin’s drylands to Denmark’s Cool, damp weather.
The honey harvested from Perth forests is more abundant due to favorable weather conditions.
Jarrah honey is harvested in strictly protected state forests. These woods are away from agriculture and industry, making sure the honey is pure and free of antibiotics, chemicals, and microbes.
If you are interested in another iconic Australian honey the check out another article we have written on Leatherwood Honey
Is Jarrah Honey Seasonal or Available All Year Round?
The Jarrah tree is a huge and unique species of Eucalyptus that grows up to 40 meters high. It only flowers every two years, which makes the honey production process rare and difficult.
The flowering season usually lasts from December to early summer. Farmers harvest Jarrah honey from September to January. That’s why Jarrah honey is difficult to find all year round.
Seasonal changes can also affect the overall yield of Jarrah honey. For example, drought, fires, diseases, and even high temperatures can affect bee activity and product yields.
That’s why farmers look for other ways to compensate for the reduced production. They sometimes mix Jarrah with different types of honey or make bees pollinate other plants. If you want to use 100% pure Jarrah honey, pay attention to the labeling and the producer’s information.
Does Jarrah Honey Crystallize in Winter?
Jarrah honey has low glucose levels and high fructose content. This quality has made it one of the hardest to crystalize in winter. So, it remains liquid for a very long time, which is a big advantage over other types of honey.
If your honey is candied, you need to warm it up. However, beware that heating can damage the antioxidant compounds in the honey and reduce its antimicrobial activity.
The Wrap Up
Jarrah honey is a unique type of honey with strong healing properties produced in the pristine Western Australian forests. It has an exquisite caramel-like, syrupy taste, and you can use it as a natural sweetener. Given its scarcity, it’s relatively more expensive than other types of honey.
Its high antioxidant levels make it one of the best medicinal options for treating a wide range of physical problems, including sore throat, cough, burns, infections, and stomach problems.
Maybe you’re like us and enjoy tasting honey from different origins and regions or maybe you’re just realizing that there is more to honey than what you see on the supermarket shelves.
We have done the research for you on a whole range of varieties of honey for you. Below is a list of different types of honey from different floral origins and regions. If you are interested check them out, Honey Varieties You Should Discover.