Stand in the ngahere of Te Hiku o Te Ika in early summer and you will see two cousins in flower — mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) and kānuka (Kunzea ericoides). To many eyes the trees look alike, and for generations both have been taonga to Māori. But ask the bees, and ask your spoon: the honeys they give are beautifully different.
Same whānau, different trees
Mānuka and kānuka grow side by side across the Far North. Mānuka is the scrubbier of the two, with larger single flowers scattered along its branches. Kānuka grows taller, with clouds of smaller white flowers held in clusters, and usually flowers a little later in the season — which is why our hives can gather each in its own time.
The honeys
Mānuka honey is the famous one — rich, earthy and complex, with a depth that lingers. Ours is graded by its MGO number, from an easy everyday 80+ up to rare 1000+ jars, and triple-creamed to a silky-smooth texture the way four generations of our whānau have always finished it. Explore our mānuka collection, or read our guide to MGO grades.
Kānuka honey is the quiet achiever — sweeter and more delicate than mānuka, with a light, buttery character that spreads like a dream. If mānuka is a strong cup of tea, kānuka is the gentle brew you could drink all day. Try it here: Kai Ora Kānuka Honey.
How to choose
- For gifting or a special jar: a higher-grade mānuka makes the occasion.
- For every day on toast and in tea: kānuka, or our 80+ MGO mānuka.
- For baking and dressings: kānuka's delicate sweetness plays well with other flavours.
- Why not both: taste them side by side and meet two expressions of the same ngahere.
Both are 100% New Zealand honey, harvested in small batches around Awanui and cared for under kaitiakitanga by our whānau. People. Place. Product. Ngā mihi.