The clinking of a spoon as it swirls in a mug, the sweetness that soothes a sore throat — these are the sensations that we typically associate with golden mānuka honey.

Growing up in Aotearoa, mānuka surrounds us, in the pantries of baches, a forever shelf fixture in supermarkets, and even in bed with us as we nurse a cold. Its healing nature is home to us, but we forget that internationally, the healing powers of this botanical has morphed throughout the years.

The story begins with one Mary Bumby, and hoards of true determination. An English beekeeper, Mary carried hives over during a torturous six-month journey to Aotearoa in 1839. Our then two present bee species lacked the ability to create honey. These European bees found themselves captivated by an alluring smell along the eastern shores of the North Island — the sweet scent of mānuka flowers blooming in the summer. A golden treasure was born.

Mānuka, reverently named by Māori, has long been regarded as taonga (treasure) for centuries. From dandruff to burns, mānuka has long been applied in various remedies within rongoā (traditional Māori medicine); ashes from burnt mānuka for soothing the scalp, and gum from the plant to moisturise and soothe fresh burns.

International recognition of mānuka honey’s medicinal properties began during the 1980s, thanks to Dr. Peter Molan. This era is widely regarded as a breakthrough, though much academic research fails to acknowledge mānuka honey’s long-established use in rongoā. But as all great things begin, it was a friend who inspired Molan’s research into mānuka honey. This friend, a keen beekeeper, believed in the antiseptic potential of mānuka honey. An obsession began for The University of Waikato scientist, and intensified through another equally sweet factor — his wife.

This strength as a hydrophilicity-enhancer, alongside mānuka honey’s antibacterial powers and rapid wound healing properties is why it’s now used in trauma units internationally, including the NHS. A 2010 study further proved that mānuka honey generates collagen in the skin. With collagen making up 80% of the skin, the impact of scarring in wound care can be dramatically reduced through medical-grade mānuka.

There is another key compound to mānuka upholding its most medicinal honey status — meet Leptosperin. A friend to MGO, it is a naturally occurring chemical found only in the nectar of mānuka plants. It’s a great anti-inflammatory, perfect for soothing irritated skin (alongside many sore throats).

Leptosperin also takes us to the world of the Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF), created by our friend Dr. Peter Molan from above. UMF (Unique Mānuka Factor) is a grading system that works from 0-30, weaving in the measurement of MGO levels with further testing of mānuka honey authenticity. The presence of Leptosperin is one of the ways of proving the authenticity of mānuka honey.

Authenticity is core to both the efficacy of mānuka honey and the storytelling of its rich heritage. Here at RAAIE, we acknowledge that mānuka honey has long been a staple of Māori traditions, we must not forget that their indigenous practices are at the centre of this historical knowledge.