Manuka honey ◆

Miel de manuka

What it is

Manuka nectar contains no methylglyoxal at all: it carries dihydroxyacetone, which turns into MGO slowly as the honey stands, so a jar's rating climbs with storage. Chemists at Waikato only worked this out in 2008, and before that manuka was scrub that farmers paid to clear.

In the kitchen

Do not bake with it — heat degrades the methylglyoxal you paid for, and the flavour is too dense for a cake anyway. It is stiff and dark: spoon it onto something cold and let it slacken rather than trying to stir it in.

Goes with

Yogurt Oats Lemon Ginger Walnut Apple Blue cheese

In season alongside

Woodcock Bianchetto truffle Musky truffle Burgundy truffle Hare Medlar

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