Uh Huh Honey

It’s touted as one of nature’s most incredible products, but is Manuka honey really worth the buzz?

- Maddison Glendinning

If you follow Kourtney Kardashian on Instagram or have perused Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.com, chances are you’ve seen the stars rave about Manuka honey. As a result, you’ve likely wandered past the honey selection in Waitrose during your weekly shop and nearly tripped when eyeing the price (usually upwards of Dhs200) for a jar. So just what is Manuka honey and is it worth dropping such serious cash on?

Manuka honey originates from New Zealand's Manuka bush, also known as Leptospermum Scoparium. Given that the bushes grow in remote and wild areas on New Zealand's North Island (although Australia has them too) the Manuka honey produced there is less impacted by pollution, making it among the purest and most potent varieties, according to the popular brand Manuka Doctor.

The potency of Manuka honey is rated by UMF, or Unique Manuka Factor, with the purest varieties rated 10+ or higher.

Such is the popularity of the product that a trade in fakes has boomed, with cheap imitations of Manuka honey popping up around the globe, each claiming to have the same benefits. According to the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association, the leading organisation in New Zealand, only 1,700 tonnes of Manuka honey is produced each year. Yet according to the New Zealand Herald, “up to 10,000 tonnes of honey labelled as Manuka are sold every year around the world”.

Manuka honey has been used for years in Maori medicine to aid upset stomachs, speed recovery from colds and help relieve pain due to its antibacterial properties, which sets it apart from other varieties and helps explain the hefty price tag. Alternatively non-Manuka honey can contain hydrogen peroxide, which reduces antibacterial properties when it comes into contact with the body’s enzymes.