The Ultimate Guide to Mānuka Honey

Sourced from dense native forests of New Zealand’s “Golden Triangle,” Mānuka honey is a delicious, creamy treat crafted by fuzzy honey bees bustling around the Mānuka tea tree. Mānuka honey, like many honeys, is a highly prized ingredient that has been used for centuries in traditional medicine and is now gaining popularity as an integral part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Mānuka honey sets itself apart from other types of honey with its creamy texture, rich flavour profile, and deep golden hue. It’s packed with nutrients like antioxidants, prebiotics, and antibacterial methylglyoxal (MGO), a bioactive compound known for its health benefits.

Now that we've introduced Mānuka honey, let's dive deeper into its fascinating history, science, and numerous benefits. In this guide, we'll explore the uniqueness of Mānuka honey, its uses, and how it's produced sustainably. Whether you're a seasoned Mānuka honey enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this ultimate guide has something for everyone. So, let's get started!

Navigate through the chapters:

CHAPTER 1

The Origin and History of Mānuka Honey

Explore Mānuka honey's rich history, cherished by the Maori for centuries.

CHAPTER 2

The Science Behind Mānuka Honey

Explore the science and history of Mānuka honey, from its diverse applications to its extraordinary properties.

CHAPTER 3

Grading Systems: MGO, UMF, and Quality Assurance

Discover how Methylglyoxal (MGO) and Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF) ratings affect Mānuka honey quality.

CHAPTER 4

Health Benefits and Uses of Mānuka Honey

Mānuka honey offers diverse benefits, from wellbeing to gut health support.

CHAPTER 5

Sustainable, Ethical, Environmental Responsibility

Sustainable practices and ethical production are crucial for beekeeping and environmental responsibility.

CHAPTER 6

FAQs and Myths About Mānuka Honey

Demystify Mānuka Honey with Common Q&A

CHAPTER 7

Recipes, DIY Treatments, and How to Use Mānuka Honey

Get creative using this delectable golden nectar.

CHAPTER 8

Manukora: Commitment to Authenticity, Quality, and Sustainability

Explore Manukora' production practices and the story behind them.

BONUS CHAPTER

Quick Tips and Tricks for Mānuka Honey Enthusiasts

Learn a few quick tips and tricks to help you as you traverse your journey with this delectable treat.

Chapter 1:

The Origin and History of Mānuka Honey

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Origin and History of Mānuka Honey

Chapter 2: The Science Behind Mānuka Honey

Chapter 3: Grading Systems: MGO, UMF, and Quality Assurance

Chapter 4: Health Benefits and Uses of Mānuka Honey

Chapter 5: Sustainability, Ethical Production, and Environmental Responsibility

Chapter 6: FAQs and Myths About Mānuka Honey

Chapter 7: Recipes, DIY Treatments, and How to Use Mānuka Honey

Chapter 8: Manukora: A Commitment to Authenticity, Quality, and Sustainability

Bonus Chapter: Quick Tips and Tricks for Mānuka Honey Enthusiasts

Final thoughts

The origins of Mānuka honey date back to 1839, when Mary Bumby, an English beekeeper, made history as the first European to bring bees to New Zealand. She set up shop, situating her humming hives on the East Coast of the North Island—an area teeming with native Mānuka tea trees.

The Mānuka tea tree makes this honey so unique, as it’s found nowhere else outside of Australia and New Zealand. This tree is a remarkable plant with impressive durability and resistance to droughts and wildfires, playing an integral role in New Zealand’s history.

If we rewind the clock to around 1320, we’ll see the importance of this tree in the lives of the Māori indigenous people of New Zealand. They had a special relationship with this tree, using it for various purposes, from medicinal applications and food to weapons and tools. The Māori often used the tree’s lush, green foliage to make brewed tea, giving the tree its name—the Mānuka tea tree.

If it weren’t for the Māori and their extensive knowledge of the Mānuka tea tree, the European settlers might never have understood this honey’s incredible powers.

However, Mānuka honey didn’t gain notable traction until around the 1980s. Around this time, Mānuka honey became more widely available, giving people from various cultures and continents the opportunity to sample it. As more people enjoyed the creamy texture and delicious taste, Mānuka honey soared to new heights, achieving global recognition.

Today, Mānuka honey remains highly sought-after for its unique qualities and unmatched flavour profile. Local beekeepers throughout New Zealand carry on time-honoured traditions and practices handed down through many generations. The art of traditional beekeeping is alive and well, thriving through artisans dedicated to preserving the essence and purity of Mānuka honey.

The tentacles of history reached our founding beekeeper at Manukora, Bryce Hooton. He believed in working with nature, not against it, and allowed the bees to bustle about doing their job without human interference. When harvest time arrived, he took utmost care in harvesting the Mānuka honey, employing ethical practices to preserve bee health.

We still follow in his footsteps, implementing The Art of Ethical Beekeeping to support the well-being of the bees and the environment to produce exceptional honey through sustainable practices.

Chapter 2:

The Science Behind Mānuka Honey

From maintaining healthy eyes and a healthy throat to supporting immunity, honey has long been used for various diverse applications. The traditional uses span centuries, serving essential roles in many ancient populations, including the Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Babylonians, and Chinese.

While regular honey remains a delectable treat renowned for its benefits today, Mānuka honey takes things a step up through its beneficial nutrients. It has earned (and rightfully so) the title of a superfood, providing wellbeing support and an indulgent flavour profile in every spoonful.

Extraordinary Antioxidants

Mānuka honey contains various beneficial antioxidants, potent compounds and nutrients in the body responsible for neutralising free radicals. As free radicals build up in the body, they contribute to a process called oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress causes healthy cells to break down and age prematurely, which can detrimentally impact the body and lead to various health conditions affecting cognitive and physical health.

Antioxidants neutralise the free radicals by sacrificing some of their electrons, which act as a natural “off” switch. By consuming antioxidant-rich foods, your body is able to neutralise many of the free radicals in your body and maintain good overall health.

Mānuka honey contains ample antioxidants, making it an excellent addition to a wholesome lifestyle that promotes health and longevity. Approximately 70% of the antioxidants in Mānuka honey stem from leptosperin and methyl syringate, potent polyphenols derived from gallic acid in Mānuka nectar.

While regular honey contains antioxidants, too, research shows that Mānuka honey has significantly higher levels of antioxidants. Its robust antioxidant profile, featuring the highest total phenolic acid content of various honeys, makes it a superior choice for supporting natural immune function.

Antibacterial Properties

Mānuka honey is known for its powerful compounds that exhibit antibacterial properties.

Methylglyoxal (MGO), a naturally occurring bioactive nutrient found in high concentrations in Mānuka honey, aids the body in maintaining a healthy balance of microbes, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. While other types of honey may contain methylglyoxal, Mānuka honey contains up to 100 times more methylglyoxal than conventional honey.

Mānuka honey showcases its prowess in various empirical studies as an antifungal tool. For example, the University of Auckland discovered components found in Mānuka honey can stop the growth of Malassezia furfur yeast, known for causing skin fungal infections.

A Malaysian study confirmed Mānuka honey’s antifungal properties, noting its impact on Candida albicans, a common cause of yeast infections. Tests completed in 2016 verified nutrients present in Mānuka honey restricted the growth of 12 out of 13 mould strains.

Chapter 3:

Grading Systems: MGO, UMF, and Quality Assurance

Understanding the grading system used for Mānuka honey is crucial. While there’s abundant authentic Mānuka honey available, the demand has given way to various fakes. The imposter honey often features a trace of natural Mānuka honey swirled into corn or rice syrup, which allows the seller to increase their amounts, sell more in bulk, and maximise profit margins.

To ensure you get quality honey that is what it claims to be, it’s essential to understand the grading systems and red flags to watch for.

Understanding the Grading Systems

Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a crucial factor to look for when shopping for Mānuka honey, as this sets it apart from the rest. The MGO ratings on authentic Mānuka honey labels tell you quite a bit about the honey.

The higher the concentration of MGO, the more potent the honey is. Here are the standard MGO levels and labels:

MGO 200+: This medium-level MGO concentration is perfect for a well-balanced combination of beneficial nutrients and flavour intensity. It’s the ideal middle ground and is often used for culinary purposes.

MGO 600+: This level falls on the higher end of the spectrum, featuring a more potent flavour profile and higher concentrations. It’s not quite as intense as the highest, premium range, but it’s a good fit for those who want to enjoy wellbeing benefits without the full-bodied intensity of flavour.

MGO 850+ and above: Honey with this concentration falls in the premium range and is ideal for those who want to maximise the wellbeing benefits this nutrient can offer.

If you’re not sure what MGO level is best suited to your preferences and lifestyle, the MGO quiz can be a helpful resource.

Aside from MGO concentration levels, you may see a UMF rating on some Mānuka honey labels. While we don’t include this rating on our labels at Manukora to minimise confusion, it’s an important consideration. Our honey is UMF-certified but doesn’t bear the label to keep things simple and easy to understand with our QR tracing system and MGO rating.

The Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF) grading system is designed to validate the potency, purity, authenticity, and shelf life of Mānuka honey. The Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) outlines stringent quality, grading, and rating tests to evaluate each aspect of the honey produced.

The rating comes in a few forms. The UMF 5+ and UMF 10+ ratings are ideal for those searching for a natural sweetener that supports healthy living. UMF 15+ and UMF 20+ ratings fit into the range of those looking for a more potent product, while UMF 25 + ratings are even more powerful and offer additional nutritional support.

How to Choose Quality Mānuka Honey

Not all honey is made equal. Some types are of better quality than others due to various factors, such as the origin, testing requirements, and ratings.

When browsing for a bottle of this golden treat, remember to watch for a few factors. These factors indicate high-quality Mānuka honey and are often a cut above the rest:

Origins

Top-notch Mānuka honey comes from the remote forests of New Zealand, where Mānuka flowers are in great abundance. Authentic, high-quality products should clearly display a New Zealand origin. Some products even include a traceability system to learn where your honey was produced, such as Manukora’s QR tracing system on every product.

Lab approved

The New Zealand government outlines strict standards Mānuka honey must meet to ensure authenticity. Under these standards, the honey must be MGO tested by a New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries-approved independent laboratory.

High ratings

The best, highest-quality Mānuka honey has a substantial amount of MGO and a rating that testifies to its authenticity. The best fit for your home will depend on the taste you prefer and the desired potency, so remember to keep an eye on these ratings.

When looking for Mānuka honey, keep an eye out for these red flags, which can indicate counterfeit honey:

The label doesn’t feature an MGO rating or other metric to determine the quality.

The packaging doesn’t mention the product being from New Zealand.

The New Zealand government doesn’t approve the product.

You don’t recognise the brand and struggle to find accurate, reliable information about them through research.

While it may seem overwhelming to look for all of these factors, taking the time to search for delicious, authentic products is well worth it. This way, you can enjoy a true super honey that is equal parts healthy and delicious!

Chapter 4:

Health Benefits and Uses of Mānuka Honey

Mānuka honey is more than a sweet treat that goes perfectly drizzled over an acai bowl or slathered on a slice of toast. It's a powerhouse packed with nutrients that help it live up to its superfood title. These nutrients give way to various health benefits, as described below.

Health Benefits

Mānuka honey is teeming with beneficial nutrients and bioactive properties that allow it to offer a range of health benefits, from general wellbeing to digestion and gut health support. It can be an excellent addition to your daily lifestyle, offering a remarkable range of perks.

General Wellbeing Support

Mānuka honey, alongside a healthy lifestyle and routine, can promote and support overall wellbeing. It’s rich in antioxidants and offers a healthy alternative to heavily processed sweeteners, making it an excellent addition to a wholesome lifestyle.

This golden nectar contains nutrients and antioxidants that boost energy and support your body’s natural immune response.

Antibacterial Properties

Mānuka honey’s MGO content can offer support for your body’s immune system, which is responsible for keeping a healthy microbiome balance. Various studies demonstrate the antibacterial properties of Mānuka honey’s MGO content.

Supports Digestion and Gut Health

Honey has long been revered for its uses in supporting and harmonizing digestion. Like other types of honey, Mānuka honey can help support overall digestion and gut health.

It contains two special nutrients:
glucose oxidase and catalase. Both nutrients play a crucial role in digestive health, releasing beneficial amounts of hydrogen peroxide and gluconic acid in the digestive system, which help with maintaining a healthy microbial balance and immune response.

In addition to these nutrients, the gluconic, citric, malic, and lactic acids found in Mānuka honey contribute to a harmonious acidity level. The balanced natural acidity helps create an environment that makes it more complex for unwanted bacteria strains to survive and flourish.

This acidity also contributes to an optimal pH level that nurtures and supports a healthy level of beneficial species, like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, which contribute to fostering a well-balanced microbial ecosystem in the digestive tract.

The nutrients in Mānuka honey also contribute to digestive health by:

Helping mucous membranes remain well coated to promote comfortable digestion;

Providing antioxidants that help with the healthy detoxification processes, contribute to overall well-being, support balanced cell growth, and maintain bodily strength;

Supporting the gut immune system, which is a major source of activity responsible for maintaining healthy inflammatory responses locally and throughout the body;

Supporting the nervous system’s parasympathetic healthy rest-and-digest function to maintain even levels of stress, hormones, and mood;

Helping to maintain consistent moisture in the intestinal tract to support healthy bowel movements;

Daily Consumption Recommendations

One to three heaping teaspoons of Mānuka honey is a standard daily serving. Each tablespoon (three teaspoons) of Mānuka honey contains roughly 60 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates, and 17 grams of total sugars.

If you prefer a light sweetener in your morning tea or drizzled over a slice of toast, you’ll likely get around 20 calories and 5.6 grams of both carbs and sugar from the addition.

While Mānuka honey is undoubtedly a superfood that can support a healthy lifestyle, it’s important not to overdo it. Remember to factor in other sources of sugar you consume throughout the day when choosing the perfect amount of Mānuka honey to add to your lifestyle.

If you choose an option with a higher MGO rating, you may choose to use less honey, as it’s more intense than less concentrated options. At Manukora, we recommend sticking with a heaping teaspoon each day regardless of the MGO level you choose.

Incorporating Mānuka Honey

Adding this sweet treat to your day is simple, but you can get creative as you want. Savor a spoonful of this indulgent nectar and enjoy its rich, creamy texture. Or, slather it on a slice of toast and enjoy it alongside your favourite toppings, like nut butter and banana slices!

Drizzle it over a cup of yoghurt topped with granola or an acai bowl overflowing with fresh fruit. Sip it in your morning tea and revel in the delicious flavour profile it adds for a comforting boost. You can even drizzle it over a scoop of ice cream as the perfect topping for a yummy dessert.

Chapter 5:

Sustainability, Ethical Production, and Environmental Responsibility

Bees are an integral part of various functioning ecosystems. At Manukora, we’re dedicated to ensuring the well-being of our bees and the environment around them. We keep sustainability and environmental responsibilities in our practices, employing The Art of Ethical Beekeeping to support the health and longevity of our hives.

Our Journey to Sustainability

Sustainability is a core pillar of our operations at Manukora. We’ve worked hard to achieve a higher standard and have earned our B Corp certification. This certification recognises businesses that meet a higher standard of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

Once a company achieves the B Corp certification, it must recertify every three years. The repeated recertification process helps ensure businesses meet set standards, essentially holding them accountable.

At Manukora, we’re proud to be B Corp-certified. We prioritise deep care and understanding of the land and how to preserve its innate beauty through sustainable practices. While the global honey industry focuses on high-volume production, often sacrificing the bees and the habitats in the process, we employ a different business model.

We’re dedicated to doing things differently. We’ve established long-standing relationships with master beekeepers scattered throughout the remote, untouched forests of New Zealand. Our approach focuses on preserving the health and well-being of the bees and their habitats while simultaneously supporting and nurturing relationships with local communities.

We will continue to maintain our commitment to sustainability, following our roadmap to minimise our carbon footprint and keep environmental responsibility at the forefront.

The Art of Ethical Beekeeping

Our honey production process at Manukora follows The Art of Ethical Beekeeping. Our multifaceted strategy employs several vital tenets that recognise the importance of the fuzzy little pollinators essential to regular function. Without bees and other pollinators, our planet would be in short supply of crops, as a whopping 80% of crops grown worldwide require pollination.

Beyond food shortages, a lack of bees would cause ripple effects, causing other critical ecosystems to suffer. By employing The Art of Ethical Beekeeping, we promote the health of the bees to ensure they can do what they do best, just as nature intended.

Our approach involves crucial components, including:

Hive placement

We strategically place the hives where they won’t need to be moved between summer and winter. The placement ensures they have ample access to flowering Mānuka tea trees and minimises hive disturbance that can stem from frequent movement. Each colony gets no less than one hectare of wild Mānuka, which is roughly the size of two football fields.

Toxin-free

Given the remote placement of our hives, we ensure our honey is free of environmental toxins like glyphosate, which can be linked to colony collapse disorder. This helps us keep our bees happy and promote the health of the environment and those who consume honey. A third-party laboratory tests every batch of honey to guarantee there are no traces of glyphosate or other damaging pesticides.

Beekeeper relationships

Our beekeepers are an integral part of our strategy. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to care for our honey bees. We maintain strong, direct relationships with each beekeeper, working with their local communities through activities like replanting.

Meticulous extractions

When extracting our honey, we take utmost care, ensuring we leave the honey and bees to maintain peak conditions. We leave the honey raw, just as it comes out of the hive, skirting excessive pasteurization, heat treatment, and ultra-fine filtration. This allows the honey to keep its naturally occurring beneficial nutrients.

Overwintering

While some companies remove all the honey from the hives each harvest, we only take a percentage of the honey. The bees need a specific amount of honey to survive the winter months, so we ensure we leave at least 30 pounds of honey in the hives to help sustain them through the cooler, darker months.

Prioritizing Environmental Responsibility

At Manukora, we prioritise our environment. We understand the gravity of protecting, sustaining, and improving our beautiful environment, and each step we take keeps our environmental responsibility in the foreground.

It starts with our hives. We strive to support the natural activities of nature and the intricately woven web of life buzzing about. We source our products from beekeepers in remote regions who revere the land and carefully manage our operational footprint.

We carefully consider our resources, thoughtfully employing and recycling what we use. We turn our organics into rich compost and recycle our plastics, cardboard, and electronic waste. We focus on second-hand and environmentally friendly products and equipment, using 100% recycled jars with 30% recycled paper labels and avoiding virgin plastics.

We understand the finite resource of fresh water, incorporating water reduction targets and measures to reuse water. We filter water before it re-enters the local system to minimise our impact. We steer clear of caustic chemicals, testing all of our Mānuka honey for glyphosate residue, among others. Our ingredients are all non-GMO verified to ensure purity and quality.

Our commitment to environmental responsibility even echoes through our shipping practices. We employ intelligent logistics that help minimise our carbon footprint by keeping freight on the sea and not in the air.

Chapter 6:

FAQs and Myths About Mānuka Honey

As you learn more about Mānuka honey, you might have various questions. The below answers to these common questions can help demystify the myths and intricacies of this liquid gold.

Why is Mānuka Honey So Expensive?

Mānuka honey costs substantially more than a standard jar of commercially produced multi-floral honey. There are a few reasons for the increased cost.

Firstly, Mānuka honey is produced by bees with access to Mānuka tea trees, which are native to New Zealand. The trees don’t flower year-round, meaning there’s a narrow window for production. Limited access contributes to the higher cost, as it can’t be produced anywhere.

On top of that, Mānuka honey boasts a unique flavour, indulgent texture, and nutrients that promote various health benefits. Manukora honey takes things a step further, as it’s raw and unpasteurised, free of environmental toxins like glyphosate, monofloral, ethically produced, and traceable.

Given these differences, comparing Mānuka honey to commercial honey is like comparing a precious gem to a rock. With an understanding of the benefits of Mānuka honey, we’re willing to up the ante and pay more for this unique golden nectar.

What Does it Mean for Honey to be “Raw”?

Standard commercial honey and raw honey are entirely different. Raw honey is kept in its natural state, just like it came from the hive. It isn’t pasteurised, finely filtered, or heat-treated. In contrast, commercial honey is nearly always highly processed.

Can You Cook With Mānuka Honey?

Mānuka honey mirrors the cooking uses of regular honey so you can use it in similar ways. However, it’s important to note that as the temperature rises above 100 degrees, the nutrients in the honey begin to deplete. To preserve these nutrients and enjoy the full benefits, use Mānuka honey as a garnish, drizzling it over finished dishes or in your toasty drink after the water has come off a boil.

Does Mānuka Honey Go Bad?

While Mānuka honey bears a best-before date, it doesn’t expire if you store it correctly. Instead, the date on the packaging tells you the date that the honey will taste best before. If you store your Mānuka honey in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, it can last longer than the average shelf life of five years.

Is Mānuka Honey Safe for Pregnant Women and Kids?

Mānuka honey is a safe addition to a healthy lifestyle for pregnant women who don’t have diabetes or gastrointestinal issues. While it’s considered safe for children over one year of age, it isn’t advised for children under this age, as their immune systems may not be able to pass botulism-causing bacteria efficiently.

If you’re unsure whether Mānuka honey is suitable for you or your child’s diet, speak with your primary care physician.

How Do I Know If My Mānuka Honey Is Authentic?

There are a few ways to ensure you get what you pay for. First, check the packaging. Look for MGO or UMF ratings, as transparent, authentic honey companies are happy to share these numbers. Check for QR codes. At Manukora, we offer a traceability factor, attaching a QR code to each jar that allows you to learn heaps of information about your jar of honey.

You can also check the honey itself. Genuine Mānuka honey is thick and creamy, a stark difference from standard commercial honey. It has a rich, deep golden hue. If your honey is pale and runny, it might not be real Mānuka honey.

If you’re still unsure, there are a few tests that can shed light on the situation, including the consistency, water, and thumb tests.

Chapter 7:

Recipes, DIY Treatments, and How to Use Mānuka Honey

Mānuka honey works for all sorts of applications, from adding an intriguing texture and sweetness to your favourite foods and beverages to supporting your overall health through DIY treatments.

Mānuka Honey and Tea: A Match Made in Heaven

Mānuka honey is the perfect finish for a toasty cup of tea, pairing beautifully with various types of tea, including:

The rich, woody, and aromatic flavour profile of black tea

Green tea’s sweet, grassy flavour

The woody sweetness of oolong tea

Cosy, revitalizing herbal teas, such as chamomile, ginseng, and mint

Of course, the list of tea combinations goes on. Some of our favourite recipes featuring liquid gold include:

Apple tea

Boil a cup of apple juice with apple pie spices and cinnamon for flavour or plain black tea for a kick of caffeine.

Let the flavours meld as the tea steeps, then remove it from the heat and pour it into your favourite mug.

Sweeten the deal with a heaping teaspoon of Mānuka honey, and enjoy your cosy beverage.

lemon ginger tea

Mānuka honey, alongside lemon and ginger, can promote health when you’re experiencing a runny nose or scratchy throat.

Simply brew your tea of choice, add a teaspoon of Mānuka honey, a slice of fresh lemon, and a quarter teaspoon of grated ginger root, and sip to your heart’s content.

iced tea

Perfect for those sweltering summer days, this iced tea recipe is free of the artificial sweeteners that almost always appear in store-bought and restaurant versions.

Simply make your favourite tea and let it cool down before adding Mānuka honey and pouring it over a cup of ice, garnished with a lemon slice or hibiscus flower for an added touch!

milk tea

This concentrated brew, essentially a tea latte, is a creamy, rich beverage. Simply make a tea concentrate by brewing twice the usual amount of tea in about a fourth of the amount of water.

Combine your tea concentrate with heated milk or milk alternative and a heaping teaspoon of Mānuka honey.

Or, pour your concoction over ice for a creamy, refreshing summer treat!

If you’d rather start your day with a steaming cup of java, swap the tea for coffee and trade in any artificial sweeteners for Mānuka honey.

Harness Mānuka Honey’s Natural Benefits

Whether you choose to stir a spoonful of Mānuka honey into your morning tea or drizzle it over dessert, you can enjoy all sorts of remarkable benefits.

Here’s a peek into its superfood, DIY-treatment benefits:

It supports a healthy immune response.

Alongside warm liquids, like a steaming cup of tea, it can help maintain a healthy and comfortable throat.

It helps support and harmonise healthy digestion, offering multifaceted benefits for various functions of the digestive system.

It can support healthy energy levels and help maintain balanced, normal blood sugar levels after consuming sugary foods or beverages.

How to Use Mānuka Honey

Honey has versatile uses, from topping a freshly blended acai bowl to sweetening your favourite morning tea. It works perfectly for various uses, allowing you to get as creative as you wish with this golden nectar.

Spice up your breakfast with a touch of sweetness by adding a few teaspoons of Mānuka honey. Drizzle it over warm oatmeal, add a spoonful to your greens-packed smoothie, or stir a dollop into your coffee for a transformative gourmet experience.

Savor your lunch by adding Mānuka honey to the mix. Combine it with your favourite salad dressing ingredients to create a mouth-watering concoction that can elevate the simplest green salads. For example, you could take a different approach to classic vinaigrette by combining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper with a spoonful of honey, melding a sweet profile with the rich olive oil and acidic vinegar.

Elevate your dinner by integrating this delectable nectar into your evening meal. Coat your roast chicken with a Mānuka honey glaze seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and a hint of ginger. Blend lemon juice and Mānuka honey to adorn your favourite seafood platter, or caramelise your go-to vegetables with a blend of honey and olive oil.

Mānuka honey can be the perfect finishing touch for your favourite desserts, too! If you prefer a nutritious, lighter dessert, try a bowl of unsweetened Greek yoghurt paired with Mānuka honey, a sprinkle of chia seeds, and a few fresh berries. Or, substitute Mānuka honey for the processed ice cream toppings, drizzling a spoonful to offset the richness of your favourite ice cream.

It can even help take your baking game to another level! Use it as a natural sweetener in your go-to goodies, like cakes, pies, or cookies. Glaze a freshly baked apple pie with it, or add it to the middle of a chocolate lava cake to take your dessert from ordinary to extraordinary.

Last but certainly not least, Mānuka honey can be the perfect addition to various quick snacks and refreshments. Add a swirl of Mānuka honey to a homemade granola bar, stir it into a refreshing glass of iced tea, or drizzle it over your bowl of yoghurt, granola, and fresh fruit.

Chapter 8:

Manukora: A Commitment to Authenticity, Quality, and Sustainability

At Manukora, we’re dedicated to providing premium Mānuka honey sourced from ethical beekeepers scattered throughout the remote forests of New Zealand. Our story started in 1998 with our founding beekeeper, Bryce Hooton.

Bryce was a pioneering beekeeper of New Zealand’s East Cape, known for its stark remoteness and potent Mānuka honey. Our origins are unique, as Bryce was blind, so he took an extra level of care in every step, focusing on working with the bees and nature instead of against them.

His unwavering dedication to sustainability and ethical honey production has carried through, forming the foundation for Manukora and the brand you see today. Our founder, Mike Bell, was lucky enough to meet the legendary blind beekeeper, immersing himself in the rich knowledge Bryce had developed.

These practices are core tenets of how we operate, from the remote forests to the packaging facilities. We’ve even obtained our B Corporation certification, which recognises businesses that meet a higher standard of social and environmental accountability, performance, and transparency.

Each of these qualifiers is a crucial part of our mentality and approach to honey production, and we’re proud to maintain this certification. We believe in authenticity, transparency, and traceability for each product. We follow stringent practices to promote the health of our bees, offering an inside look into how we operate to maintain transparency and demonstrate the authenticity of our products.

The traceability factor further testifies to the genuine nature of our honey. We attach a unique QR code to each product. When you scan this code with your device, you can learn all about your honey, from information about us and how we operate to best-before dates and, specifically, where your honey came from in New Zealand.

Our dedication to creating high-quality Mānuka honey is mirrored in our customer reviews. Read what they have to say:

Bonus Chapter:

Quick Tips and Tricks for Mānuka Honey Enthusiasts

The world of Mānuka honey and its uses is incredibly fascinating. As you further your knowledge and begin your journey with this sweet, sticky treat, there are a few things to remember. These quick tips and tricks will help you make the most of your jar of liquid gold:

Hardened honey: Raw honey can harden or crystallise as time passes. This is completely normal and happens because it’s rich in enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Soften your honey by soaking it in a hot water bath at around 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the jar in the water, let it sit for a few minutes, and stir. Remove it once the honey softens, and use it to your heart’s content.

Heat and honey: When softening hardened honey or adding it to your favourite recipes, remember not to add it to boiling water or foods. Honey loses its beneficial nutrients at high temperatures, so it’s best to add it as a garnish once your food or beverage is ready for serving.

Enjoy the journey: Incorporating Mānuka honey into your lifestyle is an exciting and rewarding process. In the early days, you may encounter a trial and error process as you search for your favourite ways to add it to your lifestyle. In weeks two and three, you’ll begin to get the hang of things, and you may start to notice the greater health support and effects it offers. Through it all, remember to savor the journey!

Final Thoughts

Mānuka honey has long been and will remain an integral part of the honey world. It sets itself apart, creating a higher standard through its remarkable benefits and nutrient contents. Its unique features have earned it a place among highly prized ingredients in maintaining health and wellbeing.

Today, this creamy, thick golden liquid, teeming with nutrients like prebiotics, antioxidants, and antibacterial methylglyoxal (MGO), is the perfect addition to a healthy lifestyle. It’s earned global recognition, stealing the spotlight for its incredible superfood qualities and value, packed into a single jar.

At Manukora, we take that value to another level by providing premium products that combine ethical beekeeping with ultimate authenticity, purity, and traceability. When you sample this Honey With Superpowers™ for yourself, you can relish the unmatched taste, texture, quality, and benefits it has to offer.

Wellbeing

Sources

Honey and Health: A Review of Recent Clinical Research

Harvard Health Understanding Antioxidants

Antioxidant Properties and Antimicrobial Activity of Mānuka Honey Versus Polish Honeys

Phenolic Acids and Flavonoids Profiles of Commercial Honey From Different Floral Sources and Geographic Sources

Identification and Quantification of Methylglyoxal as the Dominant Antibacterial Constituent of Mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) Honeys From New Zealand