Oh, honey! Ever since my years in Perth, my knowledge and love for honey has grown extensively. Over time, it has slowly become a little healthy indulgence that I just can’t live without! Traditionally, honey has been used as a natural remedy to heal small wounds and minor burns, soothe sore throats, prevent tooth decay, and improve digestive issues. In its pure and natural state, honey is known to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and soothing effects. In this current day and age where there are so many uncertainties, it is important for us to prioritise our health and build our defences from within.

Unfortunately, some of the honey available in the market today have their prices hiked up, and some may even be artificially made with additives such as sugar and corn syrup.

Which is why we were so happy when we found The Honey Colony!

The Honey Colony is a small family-run business based in Singapore. All their honey is unprocessed and cold extracted, ensuring that the original goodness of the honey is intact.  Their honey is harvested from various family-run apiaries in Australia such as Tasmania and South-West Australia. All their products are tested by independent testing facilities such as Quality Service International (QSI) and Analytica Laboratories and the results are available on their website, giving me ease of mind that their products are 100% authentic. ​It definitely does not hurt that their honey comes at an affordable price point too! (Read till the end for a bonus 😉)

They are a honey hub that specialises in anti-microbial honey types such as Jarrah, Red Gum, and Leatherwood, but also have a variety of other honey types.

Different types of honey have different health benefits and flavours. For example, Jarrah has a strong, nutty malt flavour, and an amber colour. Recent studies have shown Jarrah to contain about 2-3 times the amount of antioxidants compared to Manuka Honey, higher anti-bacterial activity as well as boasting skin repairing properties!

Meanwhile, Red Gum is a dark honey that has a distinct and bold eucalyptus taste. With a Total Activity (TA) of 40+, it is another great honey to boost your immune system and fight against inflammation, sore throats and coughs.

At this point, you must be wondering….

What does Total Activity or TA Rating mean?

Total Activity or TA+ is a method of measure to determine the anti-microbial quality of Western Australian honey. The anti-microbial activity of honey originates from the enzymes and chemicals that are naturally present in honey. The higher the TA rating of the honey, the higher the anti-microbial strength it contains, and as a result is more beneficial for health. It is similar to the UMF/MGO rating for Manuka honey; however, it measures the combination of Peroxide Activity (PA) and Non-Peroxide Activity (NPA).

UMF or MGO ratings refer to Methylglyoxal and is a measurement of only NPA found in Manuka honey.

Below is a comparison chart for TA rating to MGO/UMF:

With all the goodness packed into honey, it is a superfood like no other! Unlike many other superfoods, this one can last virtually forever when stored properly.

Did you know that it is super easy to store honey?

The temperature of beehives can range from 33-36 degree Celsius. This means that you can store honey at room temperature, even in Singapore! When stored in an airtight container, honey has no expiry date. This makes it especially easy to stock different types of honey in your home for different purposes. There are many simple ways to incorporate honey into your lifestyle, such as recipes and drinks.

If you are an avid fan of honey like I am, or if you like what you are seeing and learning so far, stay tuned as we will be coming up with more articles and recipes to feed your honey cravings! You can also use promo code BEYONDNORM10 at checkout via The Honey Colony for 10% off all your purchases!