Source: Independent
Manuka honey is a sticky golden indulgence that doesn’t just taste delicious on your toast, it can also boost your health. Originally produced in New Zealand, Britain’s first Mauka maker, Tregothnan, based in Cornwall, is now offering pots of its honey for £55 a jar. Manufactured in special beehives costing £5000 each, the Manuka commands a high price because it possesses proven medicinal qualities – as well as being a treat for those with a sweet tooth.
What exactly is manuka honey?
Manuka is a mono-floral honey, so-called because the bees that make that it only gather pollen from the Manuka bush (Leptospermum Scoparium). The plant is indigenous to New Zealand but Britain and the USA are both beginning to grow it as well. Not all Manuka honey has healing properties – the type to keep in the medicine cupboard is that which has an “active” quality, meaning that its enzymes create chemical reactions within the honey. This quality is detected through laboratory testing in order to gain the UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) rating which adorns jars of medical-grade honey.
Read More: Manuka honey is the bees knees
Cartoon by Bob Moran
