Native Flowers in New Zealand Honey
Did you know that Manuka Honey is never made up of all Manuka pollen? This is because honey bees fly in a radius of up to 5km from the hive. If you don’t know much about New Zealand, it is a long skinny country and is only 1km wide at its narrowest point. Check out our Regional Focus Blog which goes into detail about the different regions of New Zealand if you’d like to know a bit more about our beautiful country.
We place our hives in the midst of lush native, Manuka rich bush, which allows the bees to navigate to as much manuka as they can, but they will always collect pollen and nectar from other flowers along the way. The lovely thing about this is that every batch of Manuka Honey, or New Zealand wildflower honey will taste slightly different.
Once the honey has been collected from our hives, we send every batch away for independent testing, to measure the levels of Manuka Pollen, methylglyoxal and other natural markers in the honey. These tests will tell us a number of things:
- Whether the honey is mono-floral (with a majority of Manuka Pollen), or Multi-floral (with a combination of pollen from a variety of flowers, where Manuka pollen is not the majority)
- The measure of Methylglyoxal (MGO) per kilogram of honey. This appears on your honey label as an example: MGO 85+ or MGO 829+ depending on the results
- Whether or not the Manuka Honey can be certified as Manuka, by testing for non peroxide activity (NPA) and Leptosperin – which is ONLY found in Manuka Honey.
We largely celebrate Manuka (or Leptospermum Scoparium) due to its incredible natural benefits, but we have a myriad of beautiful native flowers, whose pollen can also be present in our honey. Some of the most common New Zealand flora that may be present, are:
- Rata
- Kamahi
- Tarata / Lemonwood
- Ngaio
- Harakeke/Flax
- Houhi Puruhi / Lacebark
- Kowhai
- Ti / Cabbage Tree
- Whauwhaupaku / Five Finger
- Kotukutuku / Tree Fuchsia
- Makaka / NZ Broom
- Manuka
- Koromiko / Hebe
- Kohuhu / Pittosporum Ten.
Depending on the levels of Methylglyoxal and of course whether or not the honey is mono-floral or multi-floral, each honey has a slightly different flavour profile, ranging from very sweet and perfumy right through to almost medicinal tasting if it is very high in Methylglyoxal.
Flavour Profiles of Steens Honey
UMF 24+ - MGO 1122+
The richest in methylglyoxal also makes this the richest in aroma and flavour profile, due to the strong scent and taste of the Manuka nectar. It is rare to have a honey harvest that is as high in methylglyoxal as this, making it incredibly sought after. You may notice a distinct ‘medicinal’ aroma and flavour in this honey, and that’s a good thing! We recommend UMF 24+ for Topical use, digestive issues, oral complaints, and for acute illnesses such as cold and flu.
UMF 20+ - MGO 829+
A rich flavour profile with toffee undertones and a hint of medicinal aroma, our UMF 20+ Mono floral Manuka Honey is high in methylglyoxal, and we recommend applying directly to skin, or taking by the spoonful.
UMF 15+ - MGO 515+
A medium flavoured Monofloral Manuka honey with a caramel body and rich, earthy Manuka undertones. When you open a jar of UMF 15+ you may get the strong medicinal aroma of the manuka nectar but this softens on the tongue. We recommend UMF 15+ as a daily supplement by the spoonful or in smoothies, drizzled over cereal or spread on toast.
UMF 10+ - MGO 263+
A milder monofloral Manuka Honey with a rich caramel aroma and flavour profile, with a hint of the earthy Manuka flavour. Recommended for daily consumption by the spoonful or in smoothies, drizzled over yoghurt, cereal, oats or on toast.
MGO 120+
The strongest of our multifloral manuka honey varieties, MGO 120+ has a mild manuka flavour hidden in its caramel body, with a sweet after taste. Ideal as a natural sweetener.
MGO 85+
A beautifully balanced multifloral Manuka Honey that is the perfect mix of sweet and rich. With a hint of caramel, this is a delicious sweetener in baking, cooking and hot drinks.
MGO 40+
A light multi floral manuka honey with a sweet finish and a golden colour, ideal for baking and cooking.
Wildflower
Anytime Collection
A beautifully sweet, perfumed flavour that tells the story of the beautiful New Zealand Wildflowers that have helped to create it with every mouthful. The sweetest and mildest of all our honeys, our Wildflower Honey is incredibly popular with children and adults alike. Ideal for replacing refined sugar in baking and cooking whilst upholding the integrity of the recipes flavours, without adding any richness.
