At the famous London department store Harrods, UMF31+ Manuka honey is priced at NZ$2700 (about 180,000 yen in Japanese yen), which is a hot topic. It is one of the most expensive foods on the planet. Reservations have already been made before the release, and it is expected that the limited edition of 1,000 units will sell out in no time.
What is Manuka Honey?
There are many types of honey produced in New Zealand, but the most well-known is Manuka honey, which is extracted from the flowers of the Manuka tree, which grows native to New Zealand.
Honey itself is said to be good for the throat and to have antibacterial properties, but Manuka honey has particularly strong antibacterial properties, and is even used as alternative medicine in New Zealand. It is also effective in preventing colds, sore throats, wounds, and mouth ulcers.
The number that indicates the antibacterial activity of this Manuka honey is called UMF (Unique Manuka Factor). Dr. Peter Moran of the University of Waikato in New Zealand established a Manuka honey research team and came up with the idea of quantifying the antibacterial activity of Manuka honey as UMF.
The most commonly sold ones are UMF 5+, which has a UMF between 5 and 10 and can be purchased for around 3,000 yen in Japan. UMF 15+ (UMF between 15 and 20) is also used for medical purposes and is said to have significant effects.
Manuka honey is expensive, so in recent years, counterfeits have become a problem. At one time, it was estimated that 80% of the manuka honey sold in the world was a fake, made by simply mixing a small amount of manuka honey with cheap honey. Therefore, all manuka honey exported from New Zealand is subject to strict inspection. Since January 5, 2018, only honey that passes five strict tests can be sold as manuka.
Amazing 31+
Manuka flowers bloom for a short period of time, so the amount that can be harvested is limited. Furthermore, only a few percent of manuka honey has a UMF20+ rating. How high a UMF honey can be harvested depends on the power of nature. In the midst of this, manuka honey with an astonishing UMF31+ rating, the highest in history, was harvested in 2017.
This manuka honey was brought to the world by The True Honey Co. in Ahipara, Northland. They went through a lot of trial and error to get a purer manuka honey that wasn't mixed with other nectar. "There's almost no other nectar in this manuka honey, it's an incredibly pure manuka honey," says Jim McMillan, president of The True Honey Co.
In fact, you can purchase it at a reasonable price in NZ!
This Manuka honey, which sells for around 180,000 yen at Harrods, can actually be purchased from the official website of The True Honey Co. And it's quite cheap!
→ 1700+ MGO Rare Harvest – The True Honey C
There is no guarantee that UMF31+ Manuka honey will be available in the future. It may be the first and last one...?! Therefore, it is likely to become a valuable collector's item.
Honey has a high sugar content and bacteria cannot grow on it, so if stored properly it can be stored for a long time without spoiling. In the future, the price may double or triple...!
By the way, you can also buy Manuka honey at Bokumo, the shop of sommelier Iwasu, who is the supervisor of this site!
Amazingly, Iwasu's cousin runs a business exporting Manuka honey to Japan.
For more details, please visit our store!
→ Bokumo
