UMF Manuka Honey is honey that has passed the grading and testing criteria of the UMFHA (Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association).
A Manuka honey company must be a member of the UMFHA to be able to use the UMF grading icons on their products.
The UMFHA is unique because it tests Manuka honey jars randomly off shelves all around the world.
This means that if a company says they are UMF certified and their Honey is a certain UMF number that the levels of MGO in the Honey will be guaranteed to stay at that level for the best before date on the jar.
It is important to note that honey doesn’t really go off, so a best before date is not a true indication of the honey being edible.
Instead the honey Can be consumed, normally for many many years. It is said that opened Egyptian tombs still had edible honey after hundreds of years. Storage in darker, cooler locations will help youR Manuka honey last longer.
While the New Zealand Government and Ministry for Primary Industries set testing standards for Manuka Honey to be approved for export, it really specifically looks at whether a Manuka Honey is a monofloral or multifloral (Manuka honey blend).
The UMF grading system includes additional testing to ensure there are no signs of adulteration of the Manuka Honey.
Typically, you can have more confidence in buying a UMF graded Manuka honey as the companies belonging to the association have to meet strict criteria to be members.
The extra checks and testing, plus the international testing and checks that are performed, can give piece of mind when purchasing.
Manuka Honey is honey that is produced by bees that have mostly visited flowers from the Manuka tree. This often means some people refer to it as the Manuka Honey tree.
The Manuka Tree (or bush) is a plant that is native to New Zealand.
The word Manuka is an indigenous Maori word to describe the tree Leptospermum Scoparium. It is also then used to describe the honey that is harvested from the Manuka plant.
It has been scientifically proven that the Manuka tree flower that, when visited by honey bees, produces a rare type of honey that is high is methylglyoxal. It is methylglyoxal (also shorted you MG or MGO) that gives Manuka Honey it’s unique healing properties due to the hydrogen peroxide levels.
The Manuka tree is typically found in rugged and often sparse landscapes. It has a unique ability to thrive in high mountains regions, even above snow lines.
Scientific studies in the far north of New Zealand, Especially around Cape Reigna, are ongoing to understand how the Manuka tree manages to adapt and survivor in harsh environments.
A unique element or New Zealand Manuka Honey is that it is possible to test for the markers that The indicate if a Manuka honey has been harvested by bees, predominantly from the Manuka flower.
Because Manuka trees are found, often remotely, it typically means Manuka bee hives can be placed in areas dominated by Manuka trees.
If the Manuka trees are found amongst other varieties of trees that also flower at the same time (Nov-Feb) then the levels of Manuka flower in the honey will be lower.
If they are below the required levels set by the New Zealand government and the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries, the then the honey is identified as a multifloral manuka honey or Manuka honey blend.
This blend or multifloral definition simply means the honey is taken from many, or a multiple of flowers.
As it is the unique properties of the Manuka flower that give New Zealand Manuka honey it’s health benefits, it is cheaper and less difficult to find multifloral Manuka honey blends.
Finding the right Manuka Honey Tea recipe can add a real lift to your relaxation time
Manuka Honey is known for it’s healing benefits and we all love a good cup of tea. So what does this mean? Do we just add Manuka Honey to our tea or is there a tea that includes Manuka Honey in it?
The antibacterial benefits of Manuka Honey are what makes it so unique from any other honey. The high methylglyoxal levels provide those antibacterial properties but at what temperature do those benefits being to fail?
Adding Manuka Honey to your Tea
Surely in a hot cup of tea with boiling water you will kill the properties in the Manuka Honey? But I want boiling water on my tea/tea bag as that provides the best steeping results. And, I want to add Lemon too. What to do!
First, know that the MGO levels in Manuka Honey can handle some high temperatures before it becomes less effective. Don’t get us wrong – boiling water is designed to kill most things that hurt us, all those nasty bacteria on things.
Manuka Honey MG can take up to 60 degrees in short bursts of temperatures and still retain it’s properties. If it is exposed to long periods of heat and temperature over many days it can degrade the MGO and result in lower, less effective benefits.
So, if you’re planning on having Manuka Honey in your tea, just add it after you have poured the water or wait for it to cool down a bit before you pour it into your tea cup.
Typical Manuka Honey Tea recipes often include:
Lemon Manuka Honey Tea
Ginger and Manuka Honey Tea
Lemon, Ginger and Manuka Honey Tea
Benefits of adding Manuka Honey to your Tea
1: Soothes a sore throat
Manuka Honey is known to soothe sore throats. Its antiviral and antibacterial properties can take to, and attach the bacteria that cause sore throats.
A study of cancer patients who were undertaking chemotherapy notices a difference in their sore throats after consuming Manuka Honey. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10784339/
A step up from just sore throats, Manuka Honey has also been found to be beneficial with taken for the relief of URTI – upper respiratory tract infection. A recent British Medical Journal article supports the fact that Manuka Honey and its antimicrobial nature is great as a natural alternative to antibiotics.
So the old saying that a warm water and [manuka] honey can help a sore throat all seems true.
Manuka Honey from around UMF 5+ (MGO 80+) to UMF 15+ (MGO 500+) has a wonderful balance of rich, sweet taste with a little hint of bitter depth.
As a natural alternative to sugar, it also adds some wonderful tasting notes to a cup of tea or hot water.
The rich caramel nature of honey with its medicinal hints can take a hot water or tea and make it a complex flavourful drink.
Manuka Honey Tea – Elevated Wellbeing
Manuka Honey Tea Recipe
Here a very tasty Manuka Honey Tea recipe which has a punch of natural ingredients.
Some of you might be happy to stick to just Manuka Honey Tea, or warm water but this recipe includes many antioxidant additions for your tea.
Warm water (not boiling but not Luke warm either – yuk)
Either 4-5 slices of fresh ginger or around 1/8th of a teaspoon of ground ginger. Fresh is best.
Healthy squeeze of lemon
Pinch of cayenne pepper to taste. Not all appreciate the invigorating nature of cayenne pepper.
One healthy sized teaspoon of Manuka Honey UMF 10+ or higher.
Add preferred tea bag and tea type (doesn’t have to be normal black tea, get creative)
You can mix this all in a tea sieve, in the cup or in any other form of hipster tea making device. Add the water and drink at will.
This recipe is primed for you to experiment and change the levels of each ingredient as you like. The ingredients we have chosen are specifically good for matching with tea and Manuka Honey but go crazy.
Manuka Honey Tea Bags
If you don’t fancy making your own Manuka Honey Tea concoction then you can also purchase teas pre-made. These Manuka Honey tea bags make it easy to make a tasty brew but we’d always recommend including some real Manuka Honey for taste and natural sweetening.
Some of these have other dominant flavour profiles, like floral, but they are all there.
1: Healtheries Chamomile Tea with Lemon and Manuka Honey
It’s caffeine-free and has a sweet profile to it. Chamomile is reputed to be a calming tea so with this one you get the best of all world.
PUKKA, from Unilever, brings you a sustainably sourced Manuka Honey Tea option. It’s fully traceable from production to cup which is a nice touch. It also has more certifications than my successful 5th-grade swimming career.
