Mānuka Honey: What Makes it so Special?
- Miriam Elen
- Jun 18
- 5 min read
Mānuka Honey is no doubt New Zealand's most sought-after honey, if not the world's. The unique wellness properties of the Mānuka flower are transported by the bees who create this deliciously strong-flavoured honey. It is nature's support for a variety of human complaints or ailments.
At Wānaka Lavender Farm, we are big fans of this liquid gold! We have our own Mānuka Honey sourced locally in the South Island and available to taste in our tearoom. Guests often ask us to explain more about the honey, and we're happy to oblige...
Monofloral honey
Monofloral honey is made when bees take nectar predominantly from one type of plant rather than from various flower sources. In this case: the Mānuka flower. The flavour is disctinct and pure in a monofloral honey and the end-product is tested to ensure this.
Of our selection of 4 different monofloral honey in the tearoom, Mānuka Honey is usually the one guests proclaim as the strongest... and they're not wrong. While other monofloral honeys can also have distinct flavour profiles, they're usually subtler and sweeter.
Native to New Zealand
The Mānuka tree, which blossoms with the Mānuka flowers, is a shrub/small tree that is native to New Zealand. This makes it rather cherished, especially when it's desired around the globe for its health properties.
These trees can be found in lowlands and low-level alpine areas of the North and South Islands, including Stewart Island/Rakiura. They grow white, sometimes pink, delicate flowers. Making this honey even more precious is the fact that Mānuka trees only bloom for a short period, usually between 4 and 6 weeks during the New Zealand summer (December/January). This doesn't give the bees long to collect the nectar!
Maori + Mānuka
The word Mānuka is a Maori word. Long before commercial honey production, indigenous Māori recognised the significant medicinal benefits of the Mānuka tree. Their healers would harvest the leaves and flowers to make teas and remedies for treating conditions such as fevers, digestive issues, and respiratory conditions. Mānuka bark would be used topically to treat wounds, and the inner bark could be boiled down to make infusions which were used as mouthwash.
Unique healing properties
Mānuka Honey has significantly higher amounts of naturally occurring antioxidants, including polyphenols and flavonoids, and therefore stands out against other honeys.
Although most raw honeys are known as healthier sweeteners, Mānuka Honey is next level. It has been found to contain additional compounds that mark it as a superfood. These compounds are Leptosperin, DHA/Methylglyoxal (MGO), Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) and Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF).
In a language we can all understand... this simply means that Mānuka Honey has incredible antimicrobial properties. Making it antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. It also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-modulatory properties!!
These healing qualities can aid with:
Oral health and mucositis
Antiviral and antibacterial treatments
Digestion and improvement in gut health
Wound healing, scarring, and skin ulcer management
Reducing skin conditions such as acne, dermatitis, eczema, or psoriasis
Immune and inflammatory conditions
Variety of uses
Take a spoonful as medicine, dab some on your skin, or steep it in hot water for a sweet beverage. There are many ways of using Mānuka Honey. How you apply it, whether topically or internally, is largely due to the benefits you want to reap.
As a daily wellness boost, this honey is tasty enough to be eaten as it is. It can also be easily added to other foods and drinks you may like to enjoy; substituting it for sugar in tea, spreading it on toast, or drizzling it over cakes. (Make sure to add it after the water has boiled or as a topping rather than cooking with it to keep those healthy properties!).
As for skincare, honey is often added to products such as creams and moisturisers, but it's also safe to put on your face and body without mixing it with anything else to help tackle skin issues.
No expiry date
Whilst honey doesn't expire, the wellness properties of Mānuka Honey will reduce over time, which is why you should always check the Best Before date. It is still safe to eat as a honey after that date. Because of the high sugar, low moisture level, and all the fabulous compounds in this honey, it keeps itself from growing any harmful bacteria.
Storing the honey correctly is important as to not spoil the texture and taste. Keep in a cool, dry place and out of direct sunlight. If it gets too cold, it may start to crystalise, which you can reverse by warming it back up slowly - good as gold!
Crystallisation is a natural process in honey and nothing to be concerned about.
All of the above points make Mānuka Honey extra special in our eyes. From start to finish, the process of its creation is fascinating and worthy of the worldwide recognition it receives. From the Mānuka tree and hard-working bees, to the keepers, testers, and the team pouring the delicious liquid into their pots at the end of the journey; we are lucky to have them all!
Shopping for Mānuka Honey
As Mānuka Honey is in high demand, there are some versions that are unfortunately not the real deal. To ensure you purchase authentic quality Mānuka Honey that offers those special health properties that you're after, make sure you keep these things in mind when you're shopping around:
The label should say it is 100% Mānuka Honey, not a blend. You don't want any added ingredients.
Checking the origin on the bottle is a good idea so you know precisely where in New Zealand your honey was sourced.
On trusted Mānuka Honey pots like ours, you can identify the MGO (Methylglyoxal) by numbers on the label, which is the potency measure. This way you know the honey has been properly graded. It may also be labeled as UMF®.
The higher the MGO/UMF number, the more potent the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. (Learn more about this here).
Never tried Mānuka Honey? Pop into our tearoom to have a taste and let us know what you think of it!
We are grateful to be partnered with the amazing Taylor Pass Honey apiary team who look after the bees here on the Wānaka Lavender Farm, as well as many other remote locations, predominantly close to Wānaka and the wild West Coast of New Zealand. Having our own Mānuka Honey to taste and purchase at the farm would not be possible without them.
All the photographs in this Farm Story were kindly supplied to us by Taylor Pass Honey!
Please note: We do not claim that this honey will absolutely heal ailments, only that it has been studied extensively and found to be a natural support to aid recovery with certain issues. Honey is not suitable for babies under 1 year old.
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