KOTA KINABALU: Singaporeans were highly excited over Sabah’s green honey sold at the Borneo Fest 2024 held recently in the island republic, says a state leader.

The green bee or Apis Bee got the Singaporeans curious about the green-coloured honey sold by Sabah-based entrepreneur Carmen Wong.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew, who launched Borneo Fest 2024 in Singapore, said there was a lot of interest in the product.

“Green honey is a rare and precious wild honey. Public response was encouraging. Many Singaporeans were amazed to see green- coloured honey for the first time.

“They were full of admiration for Sabah’s ability to produce green honey for health benefits,” she added.

Liew said she was informed that green honey had antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, based on scientific research.

“I have encouraged Wong to expand her domestic business to Singapore and other international markets, given green honey’s competitive edge in the field of natural health products,” she added.

Wong, the managing director of NS Field, said many visitors wanted to know more about green bees, which were usually found in the canyons of the tropical rainforest areas in Borneo.

“This species of bees has a deep green appearance and is about 3cm long. It prefers to build its nest on the forest floor, unlike other bees.

“When the bees collect nectar, they pass through the flower petals to extract chlorophyll from the flower stems. This results in green-coloured honey that tastes different from other honey products sold in the market,” she added.

Wong told Liew that she first stumbled upon green honey five years ago.

“I was fascinated by its rich nutritional content. This discovery sparked my determination to find the best source of green honey,” Wong said.

“It was an uphill task but with help from others, I finally found this precious honey along a border village in Borneo.”

Currently, NS Field collects raw green honey from beehives on a monthly basis.

The Borneo Fest took place in Singapore from July 19 to 21.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/30/unique-sabahan-product-proves-a-hit-with-singaporeans