Lehua Honey
The Ohia-Lehua Honey is a smooth, white honey that is thick and creamy. It is most distinguished for its texture, which is creamy and yet slightly crystallized. The flavor is sweet, but not overpowering. The taste could be described as floral. This is a mono-floral honey. It has a higher percentage of Glucose to Fructose sugar ratio. The higher amount of Glucose in the honey causes the Lehua Honey to crystallize faster and have finer-smoother texture.
If you enjoy the Ohia-Lehua Honey flavor, you may also enjoy the Naalehu Honey that the bees collect with Monkey Pod and Kiawe nectar.
The Ohi'a grows throughout the Hawaiian Islands but is most abundant on the Big Island of Hawaii. Lehua is the red flower of the Ohia tree and is the the islands official flower. The scientific name for the plant is Metrosideros polymorpha guad, belonging to the Myrtle family. It is often the first plant to grow on new lava fields and blooms from December to July.
Hawaiian Culture story related to the Ohi'a Lehua tree
Hawaiian legend speaks of a young man named Ohi'a and a beautiful young woman named Lehua who were in love. However, the fire goddess Pele wanted Ohi'a for herself. When he refused, Pele was jealous rage and turned Ohi'a into an ugly tree.
Lehua pleaded for Pele to turn Ohi'a back into a man, but nothing could end Pele's fury. The other gods felt sorrow for Lehua and so they turned her into a beautiful flower and placed her on the Ohi'a tree.
Legend says that if a Lehua blossom is picked from the tree, rain will fall, symbolic of Lehua's tears since she cannot bear to be separated from her true love.