quick summary
Kiva is a boutique manuka honey producer from New Zealand.
They are not as well-known as some of the bigger brands but have a loyal following.
They produce high grade, UMF certified manuka honey out of New Zealand's North Island.
They produce other health foods too, such as superfood powders and seeds.
Their UMF 20 product is one of the better-value premium manuka honey products on the market, as it's cheaper than most competitor products at the same potency grade.
Though not the largest player, Kiva's manuka honey consistently has a small group of loyal, raging fans.
In this Kiva Manuka honey review, we take a close look at Kiva’s UMF 20+ Manuka honey which represents their premium product.
Who is KIVa?
Kiva is an international superfoods manufacturer who provides unique food products from all over the world to their customers.
Manuka honey is a part of their range, which also includes acai berry powder, cacao powder, camu camu berry powder, chia seeds and maca powder.
They are a boutique manuka supplier, with their manuka honey being sourced from the most abundant coastal and forest inland manuka bush areas of New Zealand’s North Island.
Kiva are committed to producing top quality products that are as pristine and natural as possible. As a result, they use such non-invasive processing methods as freeze drying and low temp processing.
None of their range features added sugars, fillers or additives. The entire Kiva range is also GMO free.
Kiva work directly with local New Zealand beekeepers to ensure that the most sustainable manuka honey processes are carried out. All of their manuka honey products are UMF certified.
Product overview:
Kiva UMF 20+ Manuka Honey is the ultra premium honey that the company produces.
It is sourced from beehives located in the remote coastal and forested inland regions of New Zealand’s North Island where the best manuka bushes grow wildly.
During the prime 6 week harvesting period they work with local New Zealand beekeepers to locate their hives in the vicinity of these manuka bushes for maximum pollination.
This manuka honey is monofloral meaning that it contains honey from bees that have only pollinated manuka bushes.
This manuka honey product is supplied to you in a dark tinted BPA free plastic container. This ensures that your valuable honey is protected from the sunlight which may degrade it (however, you should never store your manuka honey in a place it can be exposed to sunlight. Keep it in the shade!)
Grading
Kiva Manuka Honey is both UMF and MGO rated. UMF stands for Unique Manuka Factor. This rating is governed by the Honey Association of New Zealand. To be able to use a UMF rating on the product label, the product must undergo rigorous testing. You can learn about UMF ratings here.
The UMF rating of manuka honey assess the antibacterial strength of the product. This is done by comparing the honey to phenol which is a proven antibacterial agent. The rating that results has a one-to-one equivalency with phenol. That means that the UMF 20+ rating that this Manuka Honey has provides you with the same antibacterial potency as a 20 percent solution of phenol.
According to Dr. Peter Molan, a senior lecturer at Waikato University in Hamilton, New Zealand, Manuka honeys that have a UMF rating of less than 12 have negligible antibacterial properties.
Kiva UMF 20+ Manuka Honey is considered to be premium, giving it among the highest antibacterial ratings that exists.
The MGO rating measures the specific amount of Methylglyoxal in the manuka honey. Methylglyoxal is the active ingredient that is responsible for the majority of the health promoting benefits of this amazing honey. A UMF rating of 20+ translates to an MGO rating of 829 which is also at the top range of the rating system.
All of this tells us that this Kiva manuka honey product is among the best you can get when it comes to delivering health and medicinal benefits.
With so many fake manuka honey products being sold online, it is important to have confidence in the product that you are buying. Every plastic container of Kiva manuka honey is traceable to the source, giving you the surety that you are buying genuine New Zealand manuka honey.
Taste
We were excited to try Kiva's manuka honey as its renowned for its strong taste.
We didn't find it that strong, but it does have a noticeable medicinal overtaste that is more prevalent than in other UMF 20 honeys.
Personally, I was not a fan as I enjoy my manuka to be slightly sweeter and softer, but I can see why people love it.
It's kind of that feeling when you drink a strong beer or coffee - some people just love that hard hit at the back of the throat.
A strong manuka honey may not hit the throat like a beer, but it certainly lingers on the tongue.
If you're into dense, thick flavours (say, if you enjoy your coffee black and strong), we think you'll love Kiva.
value for money
Price per 500 grams (17.7oz)
Grade | NZ Honey Co | Comvita | Wild Cape | Manukora | Kiva |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UMF20/ MGO 830 | $64 | $130 | $75 | $80 | $64 |
While UMF 20 honey is generally expensive, and obviously more costly than regular honey, Kiva actually shows great value for money when compared with its peers.
It's about half the price of the equivalent grade of Comvita, and on par with one of our favourite honeys - NZ Honey Co.
We think Kiva is worth every cent, and shouldn't break the bank even if you add it to your diet daily.
suggested uses and benefits:
As an ultra premium UMF 20+ manuka honey, this product is ideal for health and medicinal applications. Due to its high cost, we suggest that you do not actually eat UMF 20+ Kiva manuka honey, though it is, of course, perfectly safe to do so. This high grade manuka honey is best used diluted. Dilution reduces the effectiveness of manuka honey so if you are planning to dilute it with another substance it pays to use a very high rated product to preserve more of the antibacterial and other health benefits.
This UMF 20+ manuka can be used for general first aid applications. Doing so will help to stop infection or bacterial spread. It is also good for treating a range of skin conditions and can be an effective treatment for digestive problems, including irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, gas and bloating. When you take manuka honey into your body, it gets diluted in your stomach acids. That is why you need a top rated manuka honey like Kiva UMF 20+ in order to effectively treat your digestive disorders.
Kiva has a thick texture which makes it easy to use for medicinal applications such as spreading it on your skin to treat acne and other skin complaints.
overall summary:
PROS
- Sourced from New Zealand’s remote manuka bush regions
- Sustainable production processes
- Each batch traceable
- Great taste
- Sun protection packaging
- Available in 5 gram snap packs
cons
- Some may dislike the strong flavour
FAQ
Is Kiva manuka honey real?
Yes Kiva manuka honey is real. It is produced in New Zealand’s North Island prime manuka bush producing areas. Kiva works with Kiwi beekeepers to produce the purest, most natural product available. Kiva manuka honey is also UMF rated by the Honey Association of New Zealand and is traceable to its source, providing you with confidence that you are buying the real thing.
Is Kiva better than Comvita?
We can't see any reason why Comvita honey would be any better than Kiva honey. In fact, both are UMF certified honey, and Kiva produces grades up to UMF 24+. Kiva is also significantly cheaper than Comvita, so our recommendation would actually be Kiva over Comvita.
Can you buy Kiva in the United States?
Yes, you can buy Kiva in the United States. In fact, Kiva offers free shipping on all products over $25 sold in the continental US.
OTHER OPTIONS:
Kiva sells a range of other ‘super foods’ in addition to manuka honey. These include a range of powders that are cultivated in the Amazon region of South America. The company’s current powder line includes acai berry powder, maqui berry powder, cacao powder, camu camu powder, maca powder, moringa leaf powder and chia seeds.
They also produce 3 types of manuka honey at UMF ratings of 10+, 15+ and 20+, and they are sold in both jars and snack sized snap packs.
Where to buy:
You can view and order all these products on their official Amazon store.
Kiva is one of our top recommended brands of manuka honey for this year.
To see the full rankings list, click here!
