It makes sense to start with some background information on just what Manuka honey is.
Although some people can wonder whether there is a special type of bee involved, that is not the case. It is all about the particular plant and flowers that the bees visit.
If you place a hive of bees in an average field, or general forest area, the bees visit lots of different types of flowers and will produce a multifloral honey - which is the most commonly available style. If instead the hive is placed in a particular location surrounded by a large amount of a particular plant, and at the time of year when it is mostly that plant flowering, then they will produce a mono-floral honey, i.e reflecting that predominant flower.
Thus if the hive is in the lavender fields during its flowering season you get lavender honey. Likewise from an area of many Acacia trees when they are flowering producers acacia honey.
No natural jar of honey will be 100% of a single type, as obviously there will be some other flowers about that the bees do visit, but it should be predominantly so.
It is the same with Manuka. Manuka is a plant, that is native to New Zealand (and hence this particular type of honey does only come from New Zealand). Some refer to it as a bush, others as a tree, but the Manuka plant - Leptospermum Scoparium - mostly grows wild naturally throughout much of the North Island of New Zealand.
There are a number of sub-species of Manuka, which is known to affect the properties within the honey, but we'll touch on that more in a later post.
The Manuka bush only has a short flowering period - approximately 6 weeks, and so there is only a small 'production' period each year.
In the early 1980's scientists from the Waikato University in New Zealand confirmed that some strains of Manuka honey contained an additional, unique property not found in any other type of honey. This extra, naturally present, very stable and powerful non-peroxide antibacterial property is what subsequent research has found to provide many benefits over and above other honeys. It is this extra property that only some manuka honey contains that have earned its positive reputation.
As a natural product, you get natural variation. Which is why credible testing of the honey is important proving which batches do contain the additional property and which do not.
All honey is active to some degree, and can contain hydrogen peroxide activity (which isn't so stable). The unique antibacterial property Manuka's reputation and the supporting research is based on is over and above the normal active properties found in all honey. This extra non-peroxide property is also not found in all manuka honey.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
First Post for Manuka Honey Expert
Ah, first post dilemma, just what should we say?
Well, I guess the main point is that per the name of this blog - "Manuka Honey Expert" - we aim to live up to that title over time through a mixture of useful background information and industry insider tips and news.
In a process similar to the concept of 'natural selection' we will inevitably showcase, reference, link to, and otherwise indicate certain other sites and sources more often than others. We will make no apologies for this, and it simply reflects some of our expert links and knowledge, and sources that are trustable for actual consumers. It may be that we reference source in one country (eg New Zealand or UK) and you may be a visitor from somewhere else (eg Australia, Malaysia, USA, or elsewhere). However the referencing will be done on the basis that the actual information is useful and relevant for the majority of readers.
When it comes to actual products, if we have referenced something that is not available to you in your particular location, then you are welcome to simply make use of the information, and choose an alternative product source for where you happen to be. It is inevitable that we will reference some websites much more predominantly, that we have repeatedly found to contain good information and the right quality products, based on our insider industry knowledge.
We are trusting our readers to be intelligent enough to judge the quality of the information we provide or reference, and to make use of any links provided when it suits you, but also to do your own additional research if you want to.
With regards to comments attempted on posts we make, whilst we are happy to allow constructive and factual comments, the nature of the internet is that spam is very prevalent, and many commenters are mainly after a link to their own site for their own purpose. Plus the internet is filled with completely false and or misleading information, as anyone can promote their own material regardless of how accurate, factual, or otherwise, it actually is. Thus please do not be upset if we decline or subsequently delete your comment at our own sole discretion.
Hmm, all that sounds rather formal and serious without actually saying anything about manuka honey. Not to worry, it gets a first post in the setting up of this blog done and illustrates some of our aims. New posts will soon be made that start talking about what is so good about certain manuka honey.
Well, I guess the main point is that per the name of this blog - "Manuka Honey Expert" - we aim to live up to that title over time through a mixture of useful background information and industry insider tips and news.
In a process similar to the concept of 'natural selection' we will inevitably showcase, reference, link to, and otherwise indicate certain other sites and sources more often than others. We will make no apologies for this, and it simply reflects some of our expert links and knowledge, and sources that are trustable for actual consumers. It may be that we reference source in one country (eg New Zealand or UK) and you may be a visitor from somewhere else (eg Australia, Malaysia, USA, or elsewhere). However the referencing will be done on the basis that the actual information is useful and relevant for the majority of readers.
When it comes to actual products, if we have referenced something that is not available to you in your particular location, then you are welcome to simply make use of the information, and choose an alternative product source for where you happen to be. It is inevitable that we will reference some websites much more predominantly, that we have repeatedly found to contain good information and the right quality products, based on our insider industry knowledge.
We are trusting our readers to be intelligent enough to judge the quality of the information we provide or reference, and to make use of any links provided when it suits you, but also to do your own additional research if you want to.
With regards to comments attempted on posts we make, whilst we are happy to allow constructive and factual comments, the nature of the internet is that spam is very prevalent, and many commenters are mainly after a link to their own site for their own purpose. Plus the internet is filled with completely false and or misleading information, as anyone can promote their own material regardless of how accurate, factual, or otherwise, it actually is. Thus please do not be upset if we decline or subsequently delete your comment at our own sole discretion.
Hmm, all that sounds rather formal and serious without actually saying anything about manuka honey. Not to worry, it gets a first post in the setting up of this blog done and illustrates some of our aims. New posts will soon be made that start talking about what is so good about certain manuka honey.
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