Kiawe honey is a rare white honey from Hawaii made with nectar that honeybees collect from kiawe, or Prosopis pallida trees. The weird thing is, neither are native to the islands.

When the first Catholic missionary came to the Hawaiian Islands in 1827, he had a Prosopis pallida seed from France that was brought from its native home in South America.

First planted on the Mission grounds in Honolulu, kiawe trees slowly spread to all the Hawaiian Islands, flourishing particularly in a 1,000-acre region in Puka Forest.

It’s in this 1,000-acre region of the Big Island that all white honey is produced, made with the help of the honeybees that were introduced to the region in 1857.

Kiawe white honey has a light, creamy shade that is completely opaque. It has a slight nuttiness similar to almonds and a distinct sense of vanilla.

Most unexpected is this honey’s aftertaste, which leaves a hint of menthol in your mouth. Though this honey is best enjoyed alone, it’s also good on toast or a biscuit.