Executive Summary:

• Manuka honey is a rare monofloral honey produced from the nectar of the Manuka tea tree native to New Zealand, while regular honey is multifloral, produced from a blend of nectars.
• Regular honey is a source of beneficial minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, but Manuka honey also contains unique bioactive components like methylglyoxal (MGO), leptosperin, and prebiotics not found in regular honey.
• Manuka honey's nutrients offers unique health benefits that support a healthy lifestyle.
• Regular honey varies in taste and texture depending on the nectar used to produce it, but Manuka honey is rich and creamy and boasts a unique toffee flavor available in different intensities.

Manuka vs. Regular Honey: Unraveling the Differences

The world of honey is vast and varied. To make a choice that supports a healthy lifestyle it's important to understand the differences between the different types of honey so you know exactly what to look for in your next bottle of liquid gold.

All honey is made by honey bees, but differs as a result of the nectar the bees use, as well as the pasteurizing and processing that takes place after it's harvested. In this article, we explore the fascinating differences between Manuka honey and regular honey. Let's dive in!

Origins: The Tale of Two Nectars

Honey is made when honeybees take nectar from plants and convert it to simple sugars and other trace components through enzymatic action. The honey is stored in a liquid form in the honeycomb where it is harvested. The nectar the bees use directly determines the composition (and nutrients), taste, and texture of the raw honey stored in the hive. 

Regular honey is typically produced by honeybees that collect nectar from a variety of flowering plants, bushes, and trees in the area surrounding their hives—imagine a nectar buffet experience for the bees. The nectar varies depending on the plant life which is directly influenced by the climate and geographical locations of the farms and yields a wide variety of common or regular honey. 

Manuka honey is unique as it is produced from only one type of nectar—the nectar from the Manuka tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium) flowers. These tiny white flowers blossom for only two to six weeks each year! For these reasons, this monofloral (single source of nectar) honey is rare. Yet, also thanks to these reasons, Manuka honey contains plenty of beneficial nutrients.

Composition: What Makes Them Unique

For centuries people have been aware of the health-boosting properties of honey—even before they were able to analyze it and discover its various nutrients. Thankfully today, it’s easy to examine honey and quantify the differences between the regular (multifloral) and Manuka variety.

Honey is mostly made up of sugars and water, but there are trace amounts of other chemical components that transform watery sugar into the liquid gold we enjoy. Let’s take a closer look at the typical composition of regular raw (untreated) honey. 

Composition of Regular Raw Honey:

• Water (15-20%)
• Carbohydrates in the form of sugars: mainly fructose and glucose (around 80%)
• Minerals (mainly potassium, calcium, magnesium)
• Vitamins (mainly B6, riboflavin and niacin)
• Phenolic acids (antioxidants)
• Flavonoids (antioxidants and anti-inflammatory)

Manuka honey contains the same beneficial nutrients listed above, but it is unique in that it has a few extra bioactive components—courtesy of the Manuka tea tree nectar.

Additional Components Unique to Manuka Honey:

• Methylglyoxal (MGO)
• Leptosperin (antioxidant)
• Potent fructo-oligosaccharides (prebiotics)

These bioactive components provide unique and desirable benefits that elevate Manuka honey and set it apart from regular honey.

The Benefits Spectrum

Regular raw honey is a source of energy with a lower glycemic index than regular sugar. This means that you can enjoy more sweetness with fewer calories.

It further supports a healthy lifestyle by promoting overall wellness. Antioxidants present in honey support regular functioning of the whole body and healthy immune function.

The unique composition of Manuka honey goes a few steps further than general wellness thanks to its nutrient profile. 

• MGO is a powerful antimicrobial component that promotes a healthy biome (system of helpful bacteria). In fact, it is so unique that it is used to classify Manuka honey. 

• Leptosperin is a strong antioxidant that supports cellular health and also has anti-inflammatory properties. 

• Prebiotics in Manuka honey help maintain a healthy digestive system.

Taste and Texture: A Connoisseur's Perspective

You already know that honey is sweet, but there’s a lot more to the culinary experience of honey than its sugar content. The nectar that the bees use to produce the honey is the greatest factor in determining the taste and texture of each honey you’ll find in the store.  

Regular honey, depending on the nectar it was produced from, can range in flavor from light and floral to sharp and deep. The color of the honey provides helpful clues regarding its taste. Generally, the lighter the honey, the softer the flavor. Its color also provides insight into the nutrient density of the honey and its water content. Typically, darker honey is richer in nutrients and has a lower water content—making it a more valuable option regarding health benefits.

When it comes to the texture of regular honey, you’ll find a wide range that includes syrupy, creamy, and coarse—depending on the source of the nectar and the type of processing done after harvesting. 

Manuka honey, in particular, has a unique flavor profile that ranges in flavor intensity due to the varying concentrations of its unique components. Manuka honey with a greater MGO content is darker and has a deep caramel, toffee flavor. Lighter Manuka honey, on the other hand, offers a softer, more floral flavor and a lower MGO content.

The texture of Manuka honey is smooth and creamy, similar to a rich buttery caramel. It isn’t syrupy like regular honey often is, but it is versatile and can easily be drizzled over food, or simply enjoyed straight out of the jar.

The Manukora Difference

At Manukora, we are passionate about providing the highest quality Manuka honey on the market while protecting our precious bees and preserving the Manuka tea tree that makes this special honey possible. Here’s how.

• Manukora practices The Art of Ethical Beekeeping. When we gently harvest honey, we leave plenty to sustain the bees through the winter and disturb them as little as possible. We work hard to protect the Manuka tea trees so our bees have access to an abundance of nectar. We also never add any GMOs or antibiotics to our pure raw honey.

• Remote harvesting locations boost the purity and quality of our Manuka honey, thanks to the dense Manuka tea tree forests surrounding the hives.

• Each batch of Manukora’s honey is authenticated and tested in a lab to ensure that it meets the required amounts of MGO, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. That way, you know you're getting the real stuff!

Conclusion

Regular honey in its pure raw form supports general well-being and growth. Yet, Manuka honey offers significantly greater health benefits due to its unique and powerful nutrients.

With options like Manuka Honey UMF 24+ MGO 1123, Manuka Honey MGO 200, and Manuka Honey MGO 1000, it's easy to find a variant that fits your specific health needs. For those looking to support their digestive health, exploring Manukora's Digestive Support Collection can be beneficial.

To better understand the unique properties of Manuka honey, delving into resources like the MGO Manuka Honey Guide and learning about the Manuka Tree Origin can be enlightening. Additionally, Manuka honey's contribution to Honey Energy is noteworthy, particularly in contrast to regular honey.

Both types of honey are sweet and offer varied culinary experiences depending on the nectar the bees used and the density of the various nutrients in the final product. However, Manuka honey offers a unique sensory experience thanks to it’s one-of-a kind nutrient profile and thanks to MGO. 

The best way to experience the incredible flavors of Manuka honey and how it promotes well-being is to give it a try—very few lifestyle changes are as delicious and simple as the addition of a daily dose of Manuka honey. 

To find out which Manuka honey will suit you best, take this quiz and learn more by exploring our blog. 

Sources:

Nutraceutical values of natural honey and its contribution to human health and wealth - PMC

The Composition and Biological Activity of Honey: A Focus on Manuka Honey - PMC