To explain how happy I ultimately am with Kiva Mānuka Honey, I have to explain the unpleasant journey I had to take with two other Mānuka honey companies before arriving here.
A wound care specialist recommended that I try medical grade Mānuka honey for my surgical incisions to help them heal more efficiently (one was not healing well at all). My research revealed that ratings of or above 20+ UMF (Unique Mānuka Factor) were considered best for dermatological use/wound care (or ANY medicinal use).
All this being said, I had never tried Mānuka honey before, so I had no idea if it would be noticeably different than the raw honey I purchase locally (aside from slight aromatic differences due to the climate and pollen).
What I found out on my journey is that the buyer has to be exceptionally aware of every detail that is advertised on these honey listings. The first one (and I will not use names), advertised boldly a 20+ and a GMO of 829+ The 20+ was pictured on the listing ON THE BOTTLE in the same orange hexagonal box where reputable companies always display their UMF stamp rating, but upon close inspection (after purchase, of course) I noticed the letters “UMF” were not there! In fact, on the physical bottle I received, the “20+” wasn’t even there! Complete misrepresentation! I had to call Amazon customer service to explain in order to get a refund—even though the bottle was still in its plastic wrap—fully sealed. The automated system would not accept the return of a consumable.
Second attempt: another company. This time I was VERRRY careful to make sure I was getting 20+ UMF from New Zealand—traceable. When I opened the bottle, the smell about knocked me out! This stuff smelled NOTHING like honey—I do mean NOTHING sweet about it at all. My husband described the smell as a cross between Band-aids and cough syrup—dreadful! The company’s customer service was nice enough about it and sent me a second bottle, figuring the first had simply gone bad—from the same batch number. Equally as horrible. I was nice about it, and respectfully requested a refund, which they politely granted.
With great trepidation, I hoped the old adage, “Third time’s a charm” would hold true for me, and for hours I searched again for 20+ UMF Mānuka honey, and ultimately found Kiva. I ordered yesterday. My jar arrived today while both my 83 y/o mom and my husband were present. They’d both just been walked through the entire honey saga, so they anxiously awaited the expression on my face when I opened this jar. The aroma is so blissfully sweet—so unmistakably honey-like, and I could not have been happier! With the purchase from the other company, I hadn’t been sure if maybe the 20+ UMF honey NORMALLY smelled different—smelled bad—because of the increased UMF. Thanks to Kiva, I now know this is not the case. The UMF does not change the smell to something awful! The other company’s honey was definitely rancid; it’s too bad their customer service team didn’t listen to me to pull a test from that batch to try it. They’re going to lose money.
Kiva’s 20+ Mānuka honey is absolutely delightful! It is aromatically slightly different from local honey, but not in any earth-shattering way, and definitely not in a bad way; the difference is subtle and very pleasant. The taste is sweet, but it has a strong, sort of earthy taste—not bad, by any means—just a bit different from the locally-sourced type. It’s still wonderfully sweet and honey-like (imagine that!) I licked the entire inside peel-off lid clean! I couldn’t help myself!
Kiva takes safety seriously. The outer box has a circular tape safety seal. Then the jar has a black label seal (tape) that is easily recognized as broken when it is. Then there is the usual plastic ring seal to twist open the top of the jar. And once the jar is open, there is a peel-off lid (which also prevents spillage during shipping) covering the mouth of the jar. Everything was in tact, and surprisingly, through whatever arrangement they have with Amazon, it was here in less than 24 hours.
My last comment here is regarding the cost. Yes, Mānuka honey is expensive, but everything is relative; it really depends on your intent for it. If you are planning to use this as a food source, then it is probably not worth the cost, but since I am using it for wound treatment, I have to tell you that this scarcely compares to cost of some of the other treatments out there. A friend just picked up a prescription today for wound care that was $200 for a tiny tube! A specialist recommended to her that she discuss medical Mānuka with her doctor; I hope she listens before the next refill.
My faith in Mānuka honey is restored. NOW I finally know it is not some horrible, disgusting-smelling and repulsive-tasting substance (no thanks to company nbr. 2). When you find the right company, like Kiva, you’re going to get a top-notched product! I will have to update once I get it working on the incisions.
Raw Manuka Honey
