New Zealand Honey Varieties: Mānuka, Kānuka, Rewarewa, and Others

New Zealand produces over a dozen distinct monofloral honeys. Mānuka is the most internationally famous, but the country's beekeepers also produce Kānuka, Rewarewa, Kamahi, Pohutukawa, Beech honeydew, Tāwari, Rata, and several others. This is a guide to the major varieties and how Mānuka fits among them.

What is the most famous New Zealand honey?

Mānuka honey is the most famous, produced from the nectar of Leptospermum scoparium. It is the only New Zealand honey with a national regulatory definition (the MPI Mānuka Honey Definition) and the only one with a major international trade-certification mark (UMFHA's UMF rating).

The major New Zealand monofloral honeys

Each variety has a distinct flavour profile, geographic source, and chemical signature:

Variety	Source plant	Flavour profile	Distinctive trait
Mānuka	Leptospermum scoparium	Earthy, medicinal, slightly bitter	Non-peroxide antibacterial activity (MGO)
Kānuka	Kunzea ericoides	Lighter, more floral than Mānuka	Often confused with Mānuka; closely related plant
Rewarewa	Knightia excelsa	Dark, malty, with caramel notes	Highest antioxidant content of NZ honeys
Kamahi	Weinmannia racemosa	Buttery, mild, smooth	South Island specialty
Pohutukawa	Metrosideros excelsa	Salty-sweet, smooth, white-cream colour	Coastal North Island; rare
Beech honeydew	Nothofagus species	Dark, malty, complex	Not from nectar; from sap-feeding scale insects
Tāwari	Ixerba brexioides	Butterscotch, distinctive	Rare; only North Island

Why does Mānuka command higher prices than the others?

Mānuka commands a price premium because of its measurable, documented non-peroxide antibacterial activity. The other New Zealand monoflorals are excellent honeys with distinct flavour profiles, but they do not have the same laboratory-verifiable antibacterial property. Rewarewa, for example, has high antioxidant content (which is different from antibacterial activity) and is gaining premium positioning, but at a fraction of Mānuka's price.

Is Kānuka the same as Mānuka?

No. They are different plants in the same family (Myrtaceae). Mānuka is Leptospermum scoparium; Kānuka is Kunzea ericoides. Their honeys are similar in appearance, and the plants often grow side by side, but Mānuka has the high MGO content that defines its commercial reputation.

Where can you buy New Zealand non-Mānuka honey in the US?

Specialty importers (Hammerschlag, Honey Tree of NZ) and some direct-to-consumer brands (Tahi, Wild Cape) carry Rewarewa and Kamahi alongside Mānuka. Major US retail outlets typically only stock Mānuka.

Best Mānuka brands from New Zealand

For the verified-origin, UMFHA-certified Mānuka brands currently available, see our Best Mānuka Honey from New Zealand roundup. For the master roundup across all evaluated brands, see our top picks.

Common questions

Is non-Mānuka New Zealand honey worth buying?

For flavour, yes. Rewarewa and Pohutukawa in particular are exceptional culinary honeys. For antibacterial use cases, Mānuka is the variety with the documented mechanism.

What is the rarest New Zealand honey?

Pohutukawa and Tāwari are among the rarest commercial varieties, both highly localised in production and limited in volume.

Does honeydew honey have antibacterial activity?

Beech honeydew has some peroxide-driven antibacterial activity, but lacks the heat-stable non-peroxide activity that distinguishes Mānuka.