Replied by Mrs A from London Uk on 08/22/2016

About manuka honey - apparently more so-called manuka honey is sold in the UK each year than is produced annually in the whole of New Zealand. I can't now find the reference, but I also read that you can tell the real thing by a little label on the jar saying UMF - i.e. Unique Manuka Factor.

Replied by Michael from New Zealand on 12/29/2016

My attention was piqued recently by an Australian who claimed to be using Manuka Honey. Excellent stuff, helps the exports along nicely I thought, except for the fact that this person claimed that it was "Australian" Manuka Honey! Well, I thought, have those Aussie Jokers been doing a spot of under-arm bowling I wondered? Now our local news over here is normally intensely preoccupied with such weighty matters of National Import as a boy falling off a bicycle in the main street of a small town OR an itemized account of what the All Blacks ate for their breakfast! Gripping stuff, you will agree.

But wait a minute, low and behold, what should crop up in to-day's MID-DAY HEADLINE news on our National Radio but that the Aussies have stolen our Honey!! Shock horror! How can this be? Seems they fancy that "Manuka" as a label would sell more honey than, say "Tea Tree Honey, Kangaroo Honey, Boomerang or Dodgery-Doo Honey".

Well, do I have news for them! "Manuka" is a Maori name for a New Zealand shrub and Manuka Honey ought to be sourced from Kiwi Land. No doubt our respective Prime Ministers will be scheduling talks as we speak, in order to formulate a non-aggression treaty? The Tasman Sea isn't wide enough for both of us.

Replied by Kate from England on 01/02/2017

This piece from the Guardian (UK) underlines just how competitive the market for Manuka honey has become - to the point of theft and sabotage: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/04/manuka-honey-wars-new-zealand-crime-booming-industry-poisoning-beatings

I quite like manuka honey as a treat but for me it's not crucial, so I took the decision to stop buying it. I find it difficult to believe that this one kind of honey in the whole world has exceptional qualities, and I'm now on a bit of a quest to see what else is out there. There are some lovely small businesses, selling stuff from the top of Greek mountains, from oak forests (very dark and comparatively less sugary tasting) not to mention Tasmania. With so much pressure on the manuka market, it would be great if Earth Clinic readers came up with other options.

Replied by Reina from Netherlands on 10/30/2020

A good alternative to Manuka honey seems to be heather honey. I have found a raw local heather honey which I use for colds and sinuses season. Also I eat bits of the honeycomb which I chew and swallow completely - not sure but I believe in Bee products and think it is good to profit from these goodies. Right now reading Simon Buxton's book called 'The Shamanic Way of the Bee', interesting read about a little known practise in the world of Bees.

Replied by Michael from New Zealand on 10/31/2020

Hello Reina,

In response to your recent post of yesterday, I was interested in reading what you experienced with honey and your sinus condition. In New Zealand we are always told that Manuka honey is by far the best (!! ) but it commands such huge prices when exported overseas, that many of we locals cannot afford it, so use other (NZ) types, as you suggest.

One is supposed to use locally-sourced honey to gain the most benefit anyway!!

I have just realized that we ran out of our preferred one about three weeks ago (we only go to town to stock up on supplies once every three or four weeks or so) and so have resorted to a very tiny amount of brown, coffee sugar in my morning coffee instead.

Since doing this, my sinuses have played up and I surmise that the sugar-loving bacteria or micro plasma etc are loving the unusual sugar in my diet?

Co-incidentally, it is pollen season over here at the moment and I strongly suspect my olive tree as being the culprit. It doesn't help that we all live upside down in NZ I suppose!

I have been giving that tree some dark looks lately but it does screen us from the neighbour next door!

I started with an anti-histamine but then changed to a homeopathic and a netti pot rinse, using a saline solution, which was very helpful. Also my nose breathing exercises are useful.

I suspect I am acquiring more ailments since often surfing this site - bit like Readers' Digest Syndrome. What to do?

Cheers from Down Under

Michael