Growing up, one of my earliest memories is of my mother spoon-feeding me honey early in the morning before I was driven to kindergarten. For many of us, honey is a kitchen essential that serves a multitude of functions: as medicine, sweetener, marinade, just to name a few. And you’d think that honey is one of those items that are the same across all brands but in reality, there are tons of variations.
There are varying shades of amber and gold, sometimes even an opaque brown. There are pure solid honeycombs, some types are considerably liquidy while some others are just completely runny. Though shopping for honey may be somewhat of a head-scratcher, one thing’s for sure – it can substantially benefit and improve your health.
In Malaysia, there are a number of local bee farms and honey bees-nesses that create tasty and healthy honey. If you’re interested to find out more about locally produced honey, read on.
The founder of Dino Kelulut introduces the brand and his bee farm
The story behind Dino Kelulut is one that is rather personal. The founder, Dino, lost a loved one to cancer at the age of 23. He began gaining interest in honey while researching for ways to prevent the disease and started venturing into a Kelulut Stingless Bee profit-sharing programme which unfortunately didn’t end well. To make matters worse, Dino was retrenched from the company he served for 13 years. This series of events led him to finally pursue his interest in learning about honey extensively and becoming a beekeeper.
Dino’s Kelulut Trigona Honey is harvested from the stingless bees of the Trigona genus and can be found in tropical and subtropical climates. Interestingly, MARDI has also acknowledged that Kelulut honey is Malaysia’s first superfood due to its health benefits and medicinal properties.
Not only does his farm in Kuala Pilah support sustainable bee-keeping practices, Dino’s Kelulut stingless bee honey also offers a myriad of health benefits like enhancing metabolism, anti-inflammatory, relieving allergic reactions, immune system-enhancer and also enhancing the absorption of nutrients like essential vitamins and minerals. Unsurprisingly, the honey produced is 100% organic, unmixed with other honey products, and medicinally potent.
Dino Kelulut offers high-quality, premium products like raw and organic pure honey, propolis drops, and a honey and bird’s nest extract. And they ship worldwide!
Another brand that produces its very own Kelulut honey is Hajid Honey, a home-based honey label. Named after the founders’ very own child, Hajid Honey’s first product was their Madu Tualang Emas, honey described as sweetly aromatic with a floral taste. Tualang honey is a multifloral jungle honey made by wild, defensive bees in Bukit Batu Lebah and Gunung Ledang. It is a natural sweetener you could add to anything from hot tea and fresh toast to even oysters!
Their Instagram is a treat for the eyes with beautifully composed food photos utilising honey in creative ways. Hajid Honey makes visually pleasing content that centers their honey as the star of the show, but oftentimes their product is accompanied by other local favourites like Concierge Chocolate’s Malaysia single origin dark chocolate, Whimsical Gelato’s gelato and My Kefir World’s goat milk kefir. There’s also a beauty hack tutorial that shows viewers how to use their honey as a face mask!
Besides their Madu Tualang Emas, Hajid Honey also has their very own Kelulut honey that they profile as sweet, woody and tangy. If there is a honey lover that you plan on gifting sometime soon, Hajid Honey also offers customised gift baskets.
Based in Sibu, R H Bee Farms was established in 2013 where they began their journey in breeding Kelulut on a small scale. In early 2015, their beehives grew exponentially to over 2,500 Kelulut colonies, enabling them to deliver high quality products to consumers. Their farm is located in a tropical rainforest highland 900 feet above sea level, away from urbanisation and pollution.
The honey, produced by stingless Kelulut bees, prove to be a great source of antioxidants besides being anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and used as a remedy for illnesses. Because their bees are relatively small ranging from 3mm to 13mm, they can effectively sip nectar from the deep pockets of tiny flowers. R H Bee Farms’ sustainably farmed honey has been dehydrated to reduce its excessive water content, which could lead to fermentation, in order to preserve its quality and taste. The products are pure and free from artificial additives as well as pesticides. Its nectar has a slightly sour taste with a distinct floral aroma taste. They’re also MeSTI and Halal Certified!
Winnie’s Bee Farm in Jasin, Melaka produces 100% Natural Pure Honey
Winnie's Bee Farm, which has been proudly homegrown since 1982, is committed to educating consumers on honey products as well as sharing insightful information on bees in addition to delivering the highest quality honey. Their 100% Natural Pure Honey products are well-liked both locally and internationally.
Ever since its inception in the 80s, the family behind the company has been in operation for 3 generations. They also don’t discredit their success to their hardworking bees! Winnie’s Bee Farm’s love for the product is illustrated by their quality assurance and desire to teach the public on the ins and outs of bees and honey. How do they plan to do this? They encourage everyone to visit their farm in Melaka to get a closer look. That’s the Malaysian hospitality we’re all so accustomed to!
Winnie’s Bee Farm has a selection of pure natural honey products like wild honey, honey propolis, royal jelly, honeycomb, bee pollen and honey apple cider.
The farm ensures that all products meet the highest standard and compliance with Malaysian Standard and Food Hygiene Regulations. On top of that, all their products have been screened through lab tests and are MeSTI certified.
