Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Manuka Honey

Have you ever tried Manuka honey from New Zealand? You might have heard about its health benefits (antibacterial and antiviral among other things, for internal and topical use), but it is worth trying for gastronomic reasons - totally different from any other honey.

I've got Styx Apiaries' Organic Manuka Honey. When I first open the jar, I can smell rising bread dough, but sniff closer and the dark furniture polish fragrances typical of forest honey take over, with extra scents that are acidic and of rich vanilla.

The honey is dark and runny, and has kind of a savoury flavour to it, owing to its acidity. It is quite tangy but has a powerful, long-lasting melt-in-the mouth butteryness to it.

Like all honeys, Manuka is suited to particular uses; it is ideal for any meat recipe that includes honey, because it is not too sweet and its flavours compliment meat. Best is on bread from my local wood-fired bakery, with a touch of salty butter. And a cup of tea, of course - yummy.

Styx Apiaries' honey has a high content of active ingredient (UMF +10), and unlike other honeys, Manuka's active ingredient is not destroyed by heat, so you get some goodness from it even if you've used it in cooking. Search online for suppliers.


Manuka plant