10/12/07
Honey Journal -- Entry 2
Name: Natura Prime UMF 16 Manuka Honey. You can buy it here.
Country: New Zealand
Purchased: April 2007
Color: Rich, dark brown
Flavor: Not sweet by honey standards. Tastes of raisins. Also has medicine-like tinge, not surprising given its purported anti-bacterial qualities. Has a grainy texture.
Consistency: Thick. You can turn the spoon upside down. It’s not going anywhere.
Fragrance: Like a fresh box of raisins and dried apricots. A bit on the musty side, but pleasantly so.
Notes:
People take this honey very seriously. Gathered by bees from the Manuka tree, a white-flowering shrub native to New Zealand and Australia, Manuka honey is purported to have medicinal qualities. Indeed, serious scientific research is being done on the subject.
You can’t officially call your product “manuka honey” unless you receive a certain rating. The higher the rating, the more curative the honey. You can read all about Manuka Honey here.
I first discovered Manuka honey which I was doing some research on my acid reflux. I figured if I have to take medicine why shouldn’t it be honey? This isn’t my favorite honey for taste – not even close – but I still enjoy it. Has it helped me? I can’t prove that it has, but I like to think so. If it’s a placebo, it’s a damn pleasant one.
One New Zealand Story: When Susie and I were there in 2005, we rented a car for a day. New Zealanders, like the Brits, the Aussies and the Irish, drive on the wrong (left) side of the road. Also, we sit on the left side of the car when we drive; the Kiwis sit on the right. It takes a little getting used to, to say the least. The problem I had was with my depth perception for the left front bumper. I couldn’t quite get a handle on how close or far I was to the curb. Aside from some near-accidents, and Susie shrieking “Watch out!” and turning white with fear three or four times, I thought I did okay. But when we stopped at a zoo outside of Wellington, I noticed that the hub caps of my left front and rear tires were missing. I had “lost” them on the way.