What is Manuka Honey?
Manuka Honey is sourced from the Manuka Bush, a member of the Leptospermum species of plants native to Australia and New Zealand.
Leptosperin is one of four dominant chemical makers unique to Manuka Honey, a characteristic of Manuka Honey that is present only in the nectar of the flower of the Manuka plant (Leptospermum scoparium). As yet this compound has not been found in the nectar of any other New Zealand flower type.
Leptosperin’s unique presence in the nectar from the Manuka flowers is evident that if it is present in the honey then the honey can only be obtained from Manuka plants.
Description
The Leptospermums is a profilic scrub-type tree and is often of the first species to regenerate on clear land. it is evergreen, with dense branching and small leaves, with a short spine tip. the flowers are white, occasionally pink, with five petals.
This species of plant is often confused with the closely related species KÄnuka – the simplest way to differentiate between the two species in the field is to feel their foliage – Manuka leaves are prickly, while KÄnuka leaves are soft.
Manuka Honey has this varying degree of compounds in the honey that are attributed to the unique floral source of the honey from the Manuka Bush.
Does all Manuka Honey have anti-bacterial properties?
No, not all honey collected from the Manuka Bush have clinically proven anti-bacterial properties. It is not yet known why only some Manuka Honey has unique properties. It is possible it could be from a sub-species of Manuka or due to some environmental factor such as soil type.
Conductivity
Conductivity is an indirect measurement of the mineral content of a honey. Most flower honeys have low mineral content and low conductivity. Manuka Honey has a much higher than normal conductivity – about four times greater than any other normal honey flowers.