MANUKA HONEY ORIGIN BATTLE

[TeamMemberNumberEight]

You didn’t start a war, you discovered it 😂

[C-qh]

Ah yes a tale as old as time, kiwis and aussies. Kind of remind me of the the hole Pavlova issue, on who made it.

[incognitomode]

As a kiwi. This war was waged decades ago. We've been at conflict since before the battle of Pavlova. It's not your fault we can't find peace.

[bellarose-au]

We Aussies didn't call them manuka trees until relatively recently. Manuka, according to my Maori brother in law, is a Maori word which we have adopted after the NZ manuka honey became popular in wound and health care applications outside of NZ.
I'll always credit the Kiwis for it, not Aus... but tea tree and eucalyptus ARE ours.

[sjc]

it's more widely grown in new zealand, australia only has manuka trees in some coastal regions, the climate in the rest of the country just couldn't support them.

[Chris_Seccull]

You didn't start a war between us. We've hated each other for decades.

[LamoraRogue]

NZ bee keepers had their honey lab tested and standardised which is why they can state what their honey has and does.

Australia’s honey producers literally just piggy backed off that by claiming the bees harvest from the same plant, last I checked, the Australian version still hasn’t undergone any of the testing undertaken and underwritten by the NZ bee keepers/honey producers.

[martinemartin]

The two honey's actually taste a bit different and the colours are different too. There's a good reason for that. Manuka was discovered in New Zealand and for a long time, it was thought to occur only in NZ. Quite recently it was discovered that Australia has more than 80 species of tea tree/manuka (Leptospermum), including the same plant (Leptospermum Scoparium) as is found in NZ. Because of this variety, along with other types of flora, Australian Manuka honey has a different flavor and colour profile & is less likely to crystallize.

However, the Manuka plant is part of Maori culture, and it is said that one of the gods (the guardian of the forest), Tane Mahuta, placed a treasure in the care of Maori, which they must protect.

Due to this rich cultural history and the economic importance of Manuka honey in NZ, the NZ government has created stricter rules relating to the testing, labeling, and export of it.

The NZ agency, MPI, adds their objection to "Australian Manuka" that not all species of Manuka are the same. MPI worries there could be consumer confusion and fake or low-strength, falsely labeled Manuka flooding the market of non New Zealand Manuka honey.

From a governmental and national view, it is essential to honour the Maori people and their language, beliefs, and history, which gives extra meaning even to the word “Manuka” as this is a Maori word.

I hope that clears it up for you. You are truly getting a taste of NZ with the honey you are using. Maybe you could buy some Australian tea tree honey and see how it fares in your creations.

[stNickname]

Can't we all just get along and love honey?

[Kiara]

The Manuka plant is a cousin to the tea tree plant. Saying it’s in aussie is like saying the Tuatara is the same as freakin blue tongue. They’re RELATED but not the same. Besides the Fact that Manuka is a Maori word, its closest relative is the Kanuka … which is also a New Zealand plant.

[sedevri]

"a war between Australia and New Zealand" ngl, I'd watch that

[Teejay_]

Manuka is produced by bees foraging from the Leptospermum Scoparium species of tea tree, a different species from the same Myrtle family. This species is native to New Zealand and the East Coast of Australia. Hailing from the manuka tree, Leptospermum Scoparium, manuka honey is produced in Australia and New Zealand.

[NarzSmith]

Funny that Kiwis & Wombats always debate😂😂😂

[rosspoppy]

i think of it like champagne. yes technically it is physically possible to make "champagne" literaly anywhere u want but its only considered real *champagne* when its made in the champagne region of france. i feel the same logic should be applied here

[tommyboyio]

Australia isnt real its just New Zealand but prison flavored.

[indagarbage]

If its any thing like cheese laws, Manuka honey has to come from New Zealand to be considered authentic. Even if the production process is 1 to 1 in Australia.

[heathergarnham]

Manuka Honey is excellent in wound care

[prestontucker]

From what I can gather, while the tree may be native to both countries, New Zealand is the one that has set up a European-style regulatory framework to certify the origin and guarantee the quality of the honey made from bees working the manuka trees in New Zealand. It's essentially a similar situation to scotch whisky vs. whiskey in general. Both can use the same grain bill, but only the whisky made in Scotland can call itself Scotch.

[mknotultra]

i know this one, it’s only manuka if it comes from the champagne region of france

[davidbelgrave]

Kiwis and Aussies will battle over whether ANZAC biscuits, the flat white, or Pavlova was invented in their court, and also how Russell Crowe isn't from their country.