Originating in the sunny Tasman region in the upper South Island of New Zealand and bordering the mighty Abel Tasman National Park, Aristaeus Holdings Limited was established with the intent of saving bees and providing natural healing Honey products for our own use.
Manuka Honey
About Manuka Honey
New Zealand, the land of the long white cloud, is known for its clean, natural and uninhibited beauty.
Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is a native tree that belongs to the Tea Tree bushes family found only in New Zealand’s coastal areas. The Manuka tree has beautiful flowers that bloom in summer. Bees love them and are easily attracted by their unique aroma. Manuka is known for its unique health properties as well as the taste sensation.
The Manuka Bush or Tea Tree
Leptospermum Scoparium
Manuka honey is made by bees who gather nectar from the Manuka bush. This evergreen plant is unique to New Zealand and grows up to 15 meters in height. The indigenous Maori people have used its bark, sap oil and leaves as a folk medicine for centuries. They knew its medicinal benefits could be used for treating flu, fevers, colds, skin and stomach ailments. Soon after Captain James Cook discovered New Zealand, the settlers gave it the name Tea tree because they used the prickly leaves to make tea and beer from it.
Captain Cook wrote in his Endeavour Journal:
“the leaves were used by many of us as a tea which has a very agreeable bitter taste and flavour when they are recent but loses some of both when they are dried. When the infusion was made strong it proved emetic (induces vomiting) to some in the same manner as ‘green tree’ “.
Apart from ingesting the bark and leaves of the Manuka bush, New Zealand Kakariki parakeets (Native New Zealand parrots) chew on it and apply it to their feathers. This way they prevent and get rid of parasites.
Manuka is known for its dark brown honey has and its unique taste. Manuka honey typically has a very agreeable, rich and sweet resinous flavour. Its natural anti-bacterial activity has an equivalent concentration to phenol (a common antiseptic) known in the average household. Manuka honey supports the natural wound healing and can help soothe the digestive tract, amongst other complaints. The active ingredients and anti-oxidants in our Manuka honey may be used for adding energy, improving oral health, increasing immunity as well as assisting digestive health.