Melora Manuka Honey UMF10/MGO 265: Our Review

Who is melora?

The Melora honey brand is a product of the New Zealand Manuka Group.

The company is based in Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand’s North Island. It was founded by Phil Caskey and his wife and business partner Sharan. They are both pioneers in the manuka honey industry, with Phil having registered the world’s first honey wound care dressing. 

New Zealand Manuka Group is the largest manuka essential oil manufacturer in New Zealand. The company works in partnership with the landowners, sharing  a percentage of the income derived from their product sales in return for the use of the land. 

There are four brands through which New Zealand Manuka Group bring their manuka honey and essential oils to the world:

• Melora
• Manuka Lab
• Kaha
• Kiwi Manuka

Product overview:

Melora UMF 10+ manuka honey is a pure manuka product sourced from the manuka rich East Cape of New Zealand’s North Island.

Melora sells UMF manuka honey ranging from 5+ to 20+.

At UMF 10+, this particular manuka product sits at the lower midway point in terms of its medicinal potency. It carries an MGO rating of 265+.

Grading

Melora manuka honey is UMF certified.

UMF stands for Unique Manuka Factor and is developed by the UMFHA, a New Zealand organisation.

To receive a UMF grading, honey must be independently analysed and will be measured for several key components of manuka honey that prove it is genuine (NPA, DHA, HMF, MGO, and leptosperin.

You can read more about these components and the UMF grading process here.

Currently, UMF is the gold standard in the manuka honey industry for authentication. 

Taste

We enjoyed the Melora manuka honey. It has a medium sweet taste that is very pleasant. 

There is also a nutty texture along with the classic manuka bitter aftertaste.

Generally manuka that comes from the East Cape is earthy and strong - we didn't get that from our particular jar, but it also might be to do with the lower grading level (UMF10) which tends to give a lighter flavour. 

It has a medium consistency which makes it pretty easy to spread.

This honey has an amber brown color and is quite opaque.

Of course, the color may differ slightly from one batch to another. 

You will notice this manuka honey through your sense of smell before you taste it. The aroma is a little nutty with hints of herbal and earthy tones. 

value for money

This is where Melora gets a little outshined by competitors.

Melora is on the high end of the price range, and you will pay significantly more for similar grades from other brands.

While we think Melora produces a great quality honey, other alternatives certainly beat it on price.

At UMF 10 - we would probably recommend going for the most economical option - NZ Honey Co.

suggested uses and benefits:

At a UMF 10 grading, manuka honey is best using for general health and well-being.

This means adding the honey to your daily routine, such as stirring into a hot drink each morning, or having it over your cereal or oatmeal.

The great thing about UMF 10 honey is it's not prohibitively expensive, so it's affordable to use daily.

If you're planning to use manuka honey for medicinal purposes, such as treating a wound or staph infection, we would definitely recommend a higher UMF grade.

Our current recommendation for high grade honey is the UMF 24 product from NZ Honey Co.

They also have a UMF 28 product that is even better, though it is significantly more pricey.

overall summary:

FAQ

Is Melora manuka honey real?

Yes, Melora manuka honey is real. It is sourced from the East Cape, being one of the richest manuka bush areas of New Zealand’s North Island. Every jar of Melora manuka honey carries the UMF and MGO ratings. It also carries the Manuka Originz Guarantee, which allows you to trace the jar back to its source. 

Is Melora manuka honey from New Zealand?

Yes, Melolra manuka honey is from New Zealand. The fact that every jar carries the UMF and MGO ratings is your guarantee as is your ability to trace your purchase back to its source of origin, thanks to the Manuka Originz Guarantee. 

Is Melora manuka honey kosher?

Yes, Melora manuka honey is kosher. All pure, 100% honey is kosher in accordance with the Talmud which states the following principle” “that which comes from something which is not kosher is not kosher, and that which comes from something which is kosher is kosher’. Even though the bee is not kosher, the nectar which comes from the honey is not produced from within the bee. Rather the bee collects it from a bush which is not kosher. The bee does not actually digest the honey. As a result, the honey that is collected by the beekeeper comes from the bush, not from the bee. This makes it kosher. 

OTHER OPTIONS:

The Melora brand sells the range of UMF manuka honeys:

• UMF 5+
• UMF 10+ 
• UMF 15+ 
• UMF 20+ 

The brand also sells a range of manuka essential oils. The oil is extracted from the leaf of the manuka plant through a distillation process. Manuka oil has long been valued for its rejuvenative and antimicrobial properties. It is especially great for the skin.

The Melora personal care range is formulated with a blend of aloe vera juice, rich botanical oils, natural extracts and softening ingredients that make manuka honey even more effective. The range includes the following:

• Manuka Honey Moisturizer 
• Manuka Honey Body Lotion 
• Manuka Honey Body Wash 
• Manuka Honey Face Wash
• Manuka Honey Shampoo 
• Manuka Honey Hair Conditioner 
• Manuka Honey Hand Cream 
• Manuka Honey Foot Cream 
• Manuka Honey Deodorant
• Manuka Lip Balm 
• Manuka Honey Soap 

In addition to the Melora brand, the New Zealand Manuka Group also produces the following brands:

• Manuka Lab
• Kiwi Manuka
• Kaha

Where to buy:

You can buy Melora products directly from their website. Some of their products are also available on Amazon.