Real mānuka honey only comes from New Zealand. It is made from the nectar bees collect from the flowers of the native mānuka bush (leptospermum scoparium). It is a combination of the nectar and the way the bee turns it into honey that gives it its unique properties.
Manuka is a special type of honey known for its purity and health benefits. Manuka honey is made by bees who eat from flowers on the Manuka tree – a species of tree native only to Australia and New Zealand.
Real, authentic Manuka Honey is only produced in New Zealand and is made from bees that gather the nectar from the Manuka flower. Manuka Honey is strictly regulated by the Ministry of Primary Industries in New Zealand, to ensure that only premium products are exported.
Mānuka refers to a white flowered tree that grows in both New Zealand and Australia – although it is more widely known as “tea tree” in Australia.
Johann Forster initially described Leptospermums in his 1776 study Characteres Generum Plantarum. Native to Australia, many endemic species of the Manuka plant are found nowhere else in the world.
While Australian manuka honey may also have benefits, it isn't as well-researched and regulated. New Zealand Manuka comes only from the leptosperum scoparium plant, commonly known as the Manuka plant, while Australian manuka can come from any plant in the leptosperum species.
While New Zealand Manuka honey tends to have higher levels of MGO compared to Australian Manuka honey, this does not necessarily make it always the case. In fact, both types of Manuka honey have been shown to have medicinal properties and can be used for a wide range of health applications.
Manuka honey is more expensive than most other honey because it is rare and only produced in Australia and New Zealand. The flowers the bees collect the nectar from, to make Manuka honey are from the Leptospermum family, which is native to Australia. Farming Manuka honey costs more to produce than other honeys.
1. New Zealand Honey Co. Dash of Butter raves about this brand above all others: “Having conducted a deep dive into 15 other leading brands of Manuka and purchasing over 6 of them, New Zealand Manuka Honey is the realist of the real and proved to be orders of magnitude better than the rest in both taste and nutrients.”
We now know Australia is host to over 80 species of Leptospermum, including the same plant - Leptospermum Scoparium - as is found in NZ. Because of this variety, along with other types of flora, Australian Manuka honey has a different flavor and color profile & is less likely to crystallize.
Mānuka honey is produced by European honey bees (Apis mellifera) foraging on the mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium), which evidence suggests originated in Australia before the onset of the Miocene aridity. It grows uncultivated throughout both southeastern Australia and New Zealand.
Honey products are permitted into most Australian states and territories. Honey products must be inspected by a biosecurity officer on arrival, to confirm the honey items are free from contamination. Items that do not meet these conditions will be exported or destroyed at the importer's expense.
Manuka tree or Tea tree, as well as its derivative, are very rare plants. They're native only to Australia and New Zealand. Manuka honey is the rarest honey in the world — it accounts for only about 1% of the total honey available today.
Capilano honey is 100% pure Australian honey. There's absolutely nothing added, it's just as nature intended.
In New Zealand, it is called Mānuka, in Australia, it is more commonly known as Tea Tree, but the word Manuka (without a macron, which is used to indicate a long vowel) has been in common use in Tasmania for at least 100 years.
(WA is very strict about honey imports from everywhere, to protect the local industry and crops from diseases from other parts of the world that can have a very bad effect on bees. WA also exports thousands of live bees to Europe and USA every year to help them because they have problems that are killing their bees.)
1. Manuka. Manuka Honey comes from New Zealand. It is harvested from the blooms of Manuka trees that grow abundantly there.
Manuka honey is sort of the crème de la crème of the raw honey world, as it contains a significantly higher concentration of potent nutritional, anti-viral, and healing properties. Produced in New Zealand by bees that pollinate the native manuka bush, this type of honey is potent in both taste and nutritional content.
Tim Malfroy produces some of the world's best honey in the pristine world heritage Blue Mountains of Australia. Malfroy's honey is a great representation of the terroir of the Blue Mountains with its complex flora and pure environment. The depth of flavour is amazing; this honey is something special.
Kanuka honey has even been hailed as the “new super honey” due to its healing qualities. It shows particularly promising results as a topical treatment for skin disorders. Some scientists claim that some Kanuka honey has even higher levels of MGO than Manuka honey.
Our highest grade of Manuka honey, MGO 900+ has very high antibacterial activity. It can be used directly on wounds, or to assist with Golden Staph infections, acne and dental hygiene. MGO 900+ Manuka honey is also good for skin conditions, sore throats, gingivitis, mouth ulcers, sore gums and indigestion.
High in minerals and antioxidants, Buckwheat Honey is an excellent native alternative to Manuka Honey.
Which Manuka honey should you buy? We recommend Manuka honey with a minimum of 100+ MGO. As there are no UK guidelines to classify Manuka honey grades, we recognise that it can be difficult to shop products and compare them to understand with Manuka honey which strength you should buy.
Australian honey is highly sought after in global markets for its unique tastes and strong reputation for being produced cleanly and sustainably. All around Australia honey bees visit more than 700 native flowering plants to collect nectar and pollen to produce honey.