The Magic of White Honey and Lilikoi

VIHC owner, Richard Spiegel.

Back in the 1980's, when VIHC was just becoming more than a hobby, Richard went into Dean & Deluca (one of the first and finest specialty food stores in the U.S.) with a jar of White Honey in his vest pocket. It was just before Christmas, and Richard was told he would not be able to meet with the store buyer, as the holiday season was very busy.  But as fate would have it, Joel Dean, the owner, walked out at that very moment and asked if he could help ... 

Richard showed him the jar of honey and gave him a taste.  "Send me two cases," Mr. Dean said.  That endorsement later warmed many a cold call, as Richard introduced the honey to other potential accounts. Once tasted, the honey sold itself.

At that time, VIHC had only one product: white kiawe honey.

Rare Hawaiian Organic White Honey.

  Many people advised Richard on how to run a small business, saying it would never succeed with just one product.  But, being an unconventional, hippy businessman, Richard ignored this advice; VIHC continued to offer only the White Honey and the business continued to grow. Eventually, however, he did decide to try creating another product.  One of those he tried was honey with passionfruit, or lilikoi ("li-li-koi") in Hawaiian. 

Though not native to Hawaii, lilikoi has become a local favorite, especially when added to other foods. Eaten fresh off the vine, it is high in vitamin C, potassium, beta carotene and fiber. Baked, squeezed, frozen or preserved, it is turned into a variety of tasty confections (lilikoi butter, jelly, pie, cookies) and refreshing drinks (smoothies, iced tea). We obtain our lilikoi wild crafted from a small,

Lilikoi vine with fruit and flowers.

local, family-owned company. The lilikoi puree is then mixed, by hand, into our honey in small batches.

Since we began offering Rare Hawaiian Organic White Honey with Hawaiian Lilikoi, it has become a customer favorite. Like other winning flavor combinations (tomato and basil, apple and cinnamon, papaya and lime), the blend of White Honey and lilikoi somehow amounts to more than the sum of its parts: the tart, tropical tang of lilikoi complements the rich, creamy

Rare Hawaiian Organic White Honey with Hawaiian Lilikoi.

sweetness of White Honey, yielding a sensuous, magically delicious result!

If you've already tried our White Honey with Hawaiian Lilikoi, let us know what you think on the product review link on our product page. If you haven't tried it yet, you can order some now through our online store. While the most obvious (and delicious) way to enjoy this honey is right out of the jar, it is also great on pancakes or waffles, or mixed with cream cheese on toast and as sumptuous cake frosting. 

Be creative: if you discover your favorite way of using our lilikoi honey, please share it with us on Facebook or by email.  Better yet, invite some friends to share your favorite lilikoi honey treat! 

White Lilikoi Eco Pack.

In honor of sweet fathers everywhere, for the next week only (ending on 6/20/11) we're offering special flat rate shipping of only $15 for any order of$100 or more. May we suggest our White Lilikoi Eco Six Pack?