Honey

Mānuka honey is graded on methylglyoxal, written as MGO on the jar and measured in milligrams per kilogram. Higher numbers mean more of it, a stronger flavour and a higher price. The older UMF and NPA scales measure the same thing differently: 263 MGO is about 10+, 500 is about 15+, 800 is close to 20+.

Not every good New Zealand honey is mānuka. Bush blends, rewarewa, pohutukawa and late-season multiflorals are on this shelf too, and they are the ones to buy if you want honey for toast rather than honey for a grade.

Every jar here states its grade, its origin and how it was processed, so two jars at the same price can actually be compared.

Manuka and New Zealand honey from Honey Paihia, Kai Ora, M&H and BEE&FLOW at Matakana Pharmacy

Why Honey

Grades you can compare

Every listing states MGO, the UMF or NPA equivalent where the brand publishes one, and the size, so two jars at the same price can be judged properly.

New Zealand beekeepers

Honey Paihia in the Bay of Islands, Kai Ora in the Far North, Tahi in Northland, plus M&H and BEE&FLOW.

Mānuka is not the only good honey

Bush blends, rewarewa, pohutukawa and late-season multiflorals sit here too, and they are usually the better buy for toast.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Honey

What is MGO, and what number should I buy?

MGO is methylglyoxal, the compound mānuka honey is graded on, in milligrams per kilogram. Under about 250 MGO is an everyday honey with a mild mānuka character. Around 500 is the middle. Above 800 the flavour turns slightly medicinal and the price climbs steeply. Buy for how you will actually use it.

What is the difference between MGO and UMF?

Two scales for the same honey. MGO measures methylglyoxal directly. UMF is a broader grading system that also checks other markers of authenticity. As a rough guide, MGO 263 is UMF 10, MGO 500 is UMF 15 and MGO 800 is close to UMF 20.

What does multifloral mānuka mean?

Monofloral mānuka comes almost entirely from mānuka blossom. Multifloral mānuka has mānuka in it alongside other nectars from the same hives. Multifloral sits lower on the scale and costs less, and it is still real honey from real mānuka country.

Can babies have honey?

No. Honey of any kind should not be given to infants under 12 months, cooked or raw, because of the risk of infant botulism. That applies to mānuka exactly as it does to any other honey.

Why has my honey crystallised?

Because it has not been heavily processed. Crystallising is what raw honey does. Stand the jar in warm, not boiling, water and it will soften again. Store it below 25 degrees C and out of direct sunlight, and never in the fridge.

Does heating honey in tea ruin it?

Boiling water is hard on raw honey, so let the cup cool for a minute before you stir it in. It is a small habit that keeps the flavour and the texture you paid for.

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