Nature's Country Gold Manuka Honey, Hamilton, New Zealand

Manuka flowers

If you are into honey you've probably heard of Manuka honey: That it is from New Zealand and Australia; That it has health benefits including antibacterial properties, and That it is a rich, dark honey with an earthy taste. All true, as far as I can tell. But what exactly is Manuka?

To begin with it is pronounced "May new ka," (Mānuka) and it is a shrub/small tree (described as a scrub-type tree) that grows to 2-5 meters tall, but can grow taller. It is evergreen with dense branches, small prickly leaves and white (and sometimes pink) flowers. Its scientific name is Leptospermum scoparium, but it is also known as manuka myrtle, New Zealand teatree or just tea tree. 

Of note, there is another scrub-type bush, the Kanuka (Kānuka, Kunzea ericoides), that closely resembles Manuka and grows in the same areas. It has soft leaves, however, and produces a pale honey (that, unfortunately does not have the level of antibacterial qualities of Manuka). To verify that Manuka honey is Manuka honey (with all of those medicinal qualities), laboratory testing is done. To be labelled Manuka honey, at least 70% of its source must be pollen from Leptospermum scoparium.

Manuka shrub

 So what are the medicinal qualities of Manuka honey? Well, apparently all honeys have mild antiseptic properties because they all contain hydrogen peroxide (news to me!), but Manuka honey has additional antibacterial  properties (referred to as non-peroxide effects). In 1996 TradeNZ, in conjuncion with the Honey Research Unit (yes there is one!), established a standard for the classification of antibacterial honey activity, the UMF  (Unique Manuka Factor) industry standard. Within different batches of Manuka honey there can be 100-fold differences in non-peroxide effects activity. The UMF rating tests the antibacterial performance of honey and compares it to a phenol standard (a disinfectant). A UMF rating of 10 (equivalent to a 10% solution of phenol) is the minimum activity needed to get a UMF rating and this honey is called "Active Manuka Honey." Beware of "Active Manuka Honey" that does not have a rating- it may not be as active as you think. Active Manuka honey is effective in topically treating skin ailments, including dressing wounds and treating boils, burns, and cuts (something the native Maoris have always used Manuka honey for, apparently). It has also been reported to be effective in topically treating fungal skin conditions (particularly where that is a bacterial infection associated).

Apart from the UMF ratings there are the MGO ratings, which tests the level of methylglyoxal, the active ingredient responsible for the anti-bacterial properties of Manuka honey. The higher the MGO rating, the higher the level of anti-bacterial activity. 

Manuka Assam tea blend

According to one wiki listing for Manuka, the bush was called 'tea tree' because Captain Cook used its leaves to make tea. Its leaves are still used to make tea today and you can order Manuka tea online (just google Manuka tea). Its taste is reported to be similar to Rooibos (red bush) tea.

Of interest, native parakeets ingest Manuka leaves and bark, as well as apply leaves and bark mixed with preen gland oils to their feathers to combat parasites, and Manuka sawdust is used to smoke fish and meats to give them an unusual flavor. 

My Manuka honey (which comes courtesy of friends Robert and Monique who were visiting New Zealand recently) is produced by Nature's Country Gold out of Hamilton, New Zealand. Nature's Country Gold is a family affair started in 2005 (starting with 120 hives and now expanded to 1200) by Adrian and Lania Pohio. They collect and distribute Manuka, Rewarewa, Wild Flora, and Coastal Farmland honey (see their lovely website for more information). In addition, their son, Hayden, created Boosta energy bars, using their honey. 

Nature's Country Gold Manuka Honey

The non-peroxide UMF activity level of my honey is 5+, not high enough to make it worthwhile to slather on a burn, but with a little added anti-bacterial omph that might sooth a sore throat. 






Although it looks dark from the jar it is a bit deceptive because the jar is a dark brown. It is, in fact, a rich caramel color, very creamy and thick, coming off in sheets. I can easily get a huge swirl on a toothpick. In fact I broke a few toothpicks because it was so thick! It takes a second or two to melt, as do creamy honeys, and it is a little gummy as it melts. It isn't too sweet and has a mild  molasses flavor ending with a subtle molasses and eucalyptus (a little hint of menthol) presence at the end. Definitely too tasty to put on a wound (!) but would be lovely in hot tea or milk (to sooth a sore throat). In fact, it would be lovely on buttered toast as well as anywhere else you might like honey with a distinct flavor. 

Rata honey, Otira Gorge, New Zealand

The Rata honey I have is from New Zealand. It is processed and distributed by Airborne in Leeston, which is located southwest of Christchurch. Airborne were early New Zealand honey producers (1910-1997) but now concentrate on processing and distributing other apiarists' honey. The company was started with 50 hives in 1910 by William Bray and Alfred Barrett. In 1997 they had grown to having 6,000 hives but then decided to shift the focus of the company to processing, marketing and distributing other people's honey. From their website, they state that they are now one of the largest honey processing and exporting companies in New Zealand. They have a wonderful website with a great history of the company: http://www.airborne.co.nz/history.shtml They process a lot of floral honey, but from flowers I've never heard of: Vipers Bugloss (must look out for this one!), Kamahi, Rewarewa, and Tawar to name a few. They also make honey lozenges with anti-bacterial properties from Manuka and honeydew honey varieties. Apparently Manuka, Honeydew and Thyme honeys contain higher levels of antibacterial activity and antioxidants than most other varieties, making them of interest to health conscious people. They also produce a special line of honeys designed to be used in tea(?) and another in coffee(?). I'm not sure what this is all about (if you know, please leave a comment!).

The Airborne website states that Rata Honey is produced mostly from the Southern Rata on the West coast of New Zealand's South Island. There are, apparently, eight species of Rata, but Southern Rata is the main source of honey. The Rata (pronounced RayTay) is endemic to New Zealand and grows up to 15 meters high. The Rata flower looks like a red sea anemone - truly beautiful. It blooms from January to March but has good and bad (to no) bloom years, so it doesn't lead to a very reliable honey source. However this is apparently offset by good bloom years that produce such an abundance of honey that the bad years are forgiven. Of interest, Rata honey has the reputation of being a fast crystallizer. This can be a real problem when extracting it- it has to be done quickly. This is a lot like Rapsflower honey (see April 2012 blog).

For a honey to be designated as Rata honey, it has to be made up of at least 45% Rata pollen. The Airborne folks take a lot of pains to really understand the honey they process. They have a laboratory on site and, judging from all the information on their website, they closely monitor all sorts of honey-related variables. On the label of my honey, I have the rata pollen percentage (69%- so definitely Rata honey; whew), the batch number, and when it was packed. This is more information than I've ever seen on a honey label before. Alas, my honey has crystallized. I guess this isn't so surprising from a Rata honey. There is a top layer of liquid honey, though. It is a mellow brown-caramel color. The liquid part is very (very) thin. It barely even clings onto a toothpick. What is most unusual about it it is its texture- silky and very light. It has a rich first taste- with a hint of molasses, and then a floral aftertaste, with a very thin, subtle sweetness. The molasses flavor was a little unexpected. I guess I associate the taste with thicker honeys. The crystallized part is unusual too. The crystals are very, very fine, so the texture is smooth but with some body. It is almost like having a very fine cream of wheat mixed in, but one that dissolves with the honey.I have read that Rata honey is sometimes described as being salty. I didn't notice any salty taste (and I was looking for it).

If you are interested in buying Rata honey, or any other Airborne honey, their website lists sellers: http://www.airborne.co.nz/contact.shtml