Clover versus Mānuka Honey - what's the difference?

 

Many people ask us; what makes a specific honey different? Whether they’re asking about clover, Mānuka, monofloral, or multifloral, the answer is the same: It all depends on the flower.

One of the most popular, mainstream honeys is the clover honey. This is commonly found in your supermarket and is known for its sweet and floral flavour.

So how does it compare when up against another one of the greats… Mānuka honey? Let’s find out!

The physical differences of Clover & Mānuka:

 

What makes manuka unique from general honey such as clover? The physical properties such as colour, taste, texture and flavor profiles are worlds apart when it comes to clover and Manuka.

Many people might think honey is just honey, but this is not true,  every source creates different colour, taste, texture and flavor profile. When it comes to actually comparing clover & manuka honey side by side it is increadblely obvious the difference between the two.     

Clover 
- Light color
- Mild, sweet taste
- Creamy
- Vanilla bean, coconut, pineapple and citrus flavors

Mānuka
- Darker, golden/amber color
- Richer, more potent flavour
- Jellied-like texture

The Benefits of Clover & Mānuka:

 

One of the main difference between clover and Mānuka honey is the benefits. Clover is beneficial to any home, it's a great alternative to sugar and because it's expensive it make it the prefect honey to add to baking and lavishly to your morning toast.

But if you looking for a honey that is known for it's health benefits then Mānuka is the one for you. When it come to Mānuka's presence of Methylglyoxal (linked to Mānuka's anti-bacterial properties), Mānuka blows other honeys out of the park.

Clover 
- Known for its sweet flavour
- Great for baking
- Natural sweetener for tea, coffee and smoothies

Mānuka
- Known for its medicinal properties
- Antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties
- Energy booster
- Great for digestive health
- High concentration of MGO and guaranteed quality from UMF certification
- Can be drizzled over food or eaten straight off the spoon

 

Harvesting Clover & Mānuka:

 

One of the most  obvious difference between the two lies in what flowers the bees’ has access to to collect nectar.

Harvesting Clover honey is reasonably easy here in new Zealand, there is lots of it and blooms for much of the year. Unlike the Mānuka flower which is only in bloom for 6-12 weeks every year. 

 

That's a very short time frame for our bees and beekeepers to harvest Mānuka honey, not to mention manuka trees not all too easy to find. Lots of our hives are helicoptered into remote places in New Zealand to places where Mānuka is of plenty.

To create our UMF Manuka honey range our beekeepers are very selective on where they place our beehives. Remember bees can fly up to 5km from the hive!

Clover 
- From the clover flower
- Most common honey as the clover flower blooms for many months 

Mānuka
- From the Mānuka flower
- Can only be made when the Mānuka flower is in bloom (6-12 weeks every year)

While it’s inevitable that traces of other floral sources will be present in any honey, only our UMF monofloral Mānuka honey contains abundant levels of the magical, beneficial compounds unique to the Mānuka source!

Clover verse Manuka - who wins?

 

So, to summarize, both great… but for different reasons.

Clover honey has a great taste that’s ideal for baking and having on toast. While Mānuka honey has incredible medicinal properties. Their benefits are completely dependent on what you want out of your honey.