Manuka Honey comes from the flowers of the Manuka tree, which is a plant species indigenous to New Zealand. The Manuka tree only flowers for a few short weeks a year, therefore it takes a lot of planning, resources and skill to harvest this special honey.
Manuka Honey contains antibacterial properties, which sets it apart from traditional honey. In fact, it has traditionally been used for wound healing, soothing sore throats, preventing tooth decay and improving digestive issues. Additionally, manuka honey has antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.
Methylglyoxal is the active ingredient in Manuka Honey and it is this compound which we measure so that you can be confident that you're buying a high-quality Manuka honey.
All of our Manuka honey has an MGO rating, with the higher rating meaning there is a higher amount of the active ingredient that gives Manuka Honey its unique health benefits.
So which honey is best?
Middle-grade Manuka honey is most often used in skincare and for health purposes - MGO 263+ or higher. We like to take a spoonful of this honey straight from the jar daily to get the best health benefits.
Lower-grade Manuka honey (MGO 83+ or UMF 5+) is the perfect choice for daily consumption, this is what we add to our smoothies, and food.
So how can you ensure that you have Genuine Manuka Honey?
- Genuine Manuka Honey will always have an MGO or UMF rating.
- Ensure that is honey made in New Zealand.
- A jar labelled Manuka without the UMF or MGO rating may indeed contain some Manuka honey, but it may be in very small quantities
- Get to know the producer of your honey.
Getting to know your honey producers is the best way to ensure that your Manuka Honey is genuine. Always choose ethical and sustainable beekeepers.
Here at Kai Ora Honey, we are proud to be an authentic Māori owned business that were born and raised in Te Tai Tokerau, New Zealand. Kai Ora Headquarters is run from our family homestead located in Awanui, a small settlement in the winterless North.
We are New Zealand's premium Manuka extraction & development company, where we sustainably harvest and extract the medicinal properties from New Zealand’s mānuka and kānuka trees.
We take pride in having a vertically integrated operation from our landowners, to beekeepers, to processors and marketers that enables quality control over the entire process of creating our products.