As a devoted fan of manuka honey, I’m forever seeking innovative brands to try. In this blog post, I aim to offer my sincere views concerning Kiva’s Manuka Honey. This review will mainly cover their UMF 15+ and UMF 20+ variants, giving you insights into everything from taste to authenticity.
Taste and Appearance
On first glance, Kiva’s manuka honey showcases a warm caramel hue, and its texture is granular. But don’t let its gritty appearance trick you—this honey is lusciously creamy and oh-so-sweet. The taste is robust, carrying an earthy inflection, quite potent, distinctive, and pleasantly therapeutic. Notably, it differentiates itself with a slightly more medicinal flavor than your local raw honey, yet trust me, it’s no less delightful.
This honey truly offers a one-of-a-kind taste sensation that won’t be mistaken easily. As far as consistency goes, it’s incredibly dense, requiring a bit of patience to dissolve in hot tea or water, but leaves no bitter aftertaste.
Grades Available
One admirable feature of Kiva’s manuka honey is the variety of UMF grades on offer. These range from UMF 5+ (MGO 83+), UMF 10+ (MGO 263+), UMF 15+ (MGO 514+), UMF 20+ (MGO 850+), to UMF 24+ (MGO 1122+).
UMF is a grading system that measures the concentration of unique compounds found in manuka honey, such as methylglyoxal (MGO). Higher UMF ratings indicate higher levels of these beneficial compounds.
If you’re looking to boost your immune system and reduce symptoms of cold sores, the flu, or even a stuffy nose, the UMF 15+ rated honey is suggested as a good option. Moreover, UMF 15+ and higher grades are considered ideal for dermatological use.
Purity and Authenticity
When it comes to Manuka Honey, authenticity is key. Kiva Manuka Honey hails from the land of the Long White Cloud — New Zealand. With the UMF seal on its packaging, you can be certain of its authenticity—something I confirmed for myself via the UMF website. The company’s UMFHA license number (2240) also attests to its credibility.
Kiva uses minimal processing methods, keeping essential nutrients intact. Techniques like low-temperature processing and freeze-drying ensure that the integrity of the honey is maintained.
In terms of its therapeutic usage, I have found it quite effective. Taking small doses a few times a day noticeably moistens and coats my mouth and gums. This proved to be great in curing a sore throat after just a few doses. Mixing it with warm water, turmeric, and half a lemon seemed to be particularly effective in alleviating a sore throat. After just three days, my cough was almost gone. It also seems to be effective in healing small cuts and improving oral health, not to mention, beneficial towards healing my stomach issues.
Brand Reputation
Kiva Manuka honey is made by Kiva Health Brands LLC, which can be found at their official website www.kivahealthfood.com. This brand proudly enjoys continual high ratings on Amazon, with more than 10,000 reviews backing them up. Their commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices adds to their credibility. They are recognized as one of the global leaders in the UMF Manuka Honey market, attesting to their quality standards.
Packaging and Size
Kiva Manuka Honey comes in a well-sealed 8.8oz or 250g plastic jar — ensuring that it arrives in excellent condition. Both the lid seal and the opening seal were intact upon arrival, providing an extra layer of assurance about the product’s safety and freshness. If plastic isn’t to your liking, it’s worth mentioning that their UMF 24+ grade honey comes in a glass jar instead. An additional option offered is the portable snap packets for UMF 10+ grade honey, which are perfect for on-the-go use.
A unique feature of their packaging is the inclusion of a QR code on the bottle; scanning this code takes you to the Kiva website, where you can enter the batch number to verify the product’s authenticity. However, this feature didn’t seem to work as expected as it kept asking me to “try again.”
Price and Value
Despite being a premium product, Kiva Manuka Honey offers commendable value for its quality. The UMF 20+ grade costs $64.00 on their website, while the UMF 15+ is priced at $42.00. These may seem expensive at first, but compared to other high-grade manuka honey, they are relatively reasonable.
What’s more, Kiva offers a ‘Subscribe & Save‘ program that grants a 10% discount, and they provide free shipping on orders above $35. If you consider its multi-dimensional use – from health benefits to culinary delight, Kiva Manuka provides excellent value for money.
Pros & Cons
- Genuine New Zealand honey
- Well sealed package
- Offers a variety of UMF grades
- Effective for dietary, skincare, and medicinal uses
- It is from a reputable, globally-recognized brand
- Not suitable for people with diabetes
- It’s only available in one jar size
- The batch number verification tool on the website needs improvement
Overall Rating
After fine-combing through all aspects of Kiva Manuka Honey, I’m quite impressed with this product. The taste is unique and satisfying; it is powerful in its health benefits and checks all the boxes with authenticity and purity. The brand stands up to its reputation, and the packaging fortifies the product’s quality.
However, despite the wonderful properties of this honey, the malfunctioning batch number verification tool and the slightly steeper price compared to regular honey can be minor drawbacks.
Overall, considering all the attributes, I feel comfortable giving Kiva Manuka Honey a 7.1 out of 10. The benefits substantially outweigh the cons, making it worth a try if you’re exploring Manuka honey options for health or skincare purposes.
Nutrition Information
- Calories: 60
- Total Fat: 0g
- Total Carb: 15g
- Total Sugars: 12g
- Sodium: 0mg
- Protein: 0g
*Serving size: 1 tbsp (21g)
Other Options to Consider
- New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka Honey
- Comvita Manuka Honey
- Manukora Manuka Honey
- Mānuka Health Manuka Honey
- Steens Manuka Honey
- Egmont Manuka Honey
- Wedderspoon Manuka Honey
