Sidr Honey vs Manuka Honey: An Honest Comparison

Sidr and Manuka are the two most talked-about honeys in the world, and they are often compared as if one must win. They come from different trees on different continents, are graded differently, and taste nothing alike. Here is an honest comparison.

The short answer

Manuka comes from New Zealand's manuka bush and is graded by MGO or UMF, a measure of one antibacterial compound. Yemeni Sidr comes from the Sidr tree of Hadramout and is valued for its high antioxidant content; its antibacterial activity is measured as Total Activity (TA). Choose by taste, by purpose and by proof, not by hype.

Side by side

Two trees, two worlds

Sidr trees survive on 50 to 300 mm of rain a year in the dry valleys of Yemen, and the best Sidr comes from isolated wadis where nothing else flowers. Manuka is a shrub of New Zealand's hills and coasts, farmed at scale with a strong national grading system.

How each is tested: MGO and UMF versus TA

• MGO measures methylglyoxal, the compound behind much of Manuka's antibacterial activity. UMF is a grading system built around it.
• TA (Total Activity) measures a honey's overall antibacterial activity in the laboratory, from all sources.

There is no MGO grade for Sidr because its activity does not come mainly from methylglyoxal. TA lets you compare it on the same activity scale.

Where our Sidr sits on the TA scale

Our 2026 results, from ALS Food & Environmental in New Zealand: Premium Sidr TA 26.8 and Royal Sidr TA 33.4. On the Total Activity scale, TA 26.8 sits alongside UMF 26+ Manuka.

How to read a honey lab report

Whichever honey you buy, the lab report should answer four questions:

1. Which laboratory? An independent one. Ours is ALS Food & Environmental in New Zealand.
2. Which batch? A reference number that matches this season's honey. Our 2026 Premium Sidr is ref. 26-01485-3; our Royal Sidr is ref. 26-01485-2.
3. What was measured? TA for Sidr, MGO for Manuka, and a C4 test for added cane or corn syrup.
4. When? A result from a past year tells you nothing about today's jar.

Taste

Sidr is sweeter and more floral: butterscotch, caramel and toffee with a warm, lingering finish. Manuka is earthier and slightly bitter, an acquired taste for some. If you will eat it by the spoon every day, taste matters.

What research has compared

A University of Ottawa laboratory study (Alandejani et al., 2009) tested Yemeni Sidr and New Zealand Manuka against MRSA, MSSA and Pseudomonas biofilms; both killed a high share of the bacteria, at rates the authors compared favourably with single antibiotics in the dish. Research on Sidr also highlights its phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. These are laboratory results, not proof of an effect in people.

History and culture

Sidr's reverence comes from the Arab and Islamic world: the Sidr tree is named in the Quran, and Sidr honey has been gifted, traded and served to guests in Yemen for centuries. Manuka's story is younger in trade but long in New Zealand, where the Māori have known the manuka plant for generations.

How to use each

• Sidr: by the spoon, in warm tea, with dates, or as a Khalta with black seed and herbs. Its sweetness makes it an everyday honey.
• Manuka: by the spoon, often chosen by its MGO grade. Its bitterness makes it less of a table honey for many people.

Buying either in Australia: what to check

Price

Both are expensive for the same reasons: limited harvests, testing and freight. Manuka's price tracks its MGO grade; Sidr's tracks its season, valley and grade. We explain it in Sidr vs Manuka price.

Which should you choose?

• Choose Sidr if you want a richer, floral honey, value its place in Arab and Islamic tradition, or want its high antioxidant content.
• Choose Manuka if you want an MGO-graded honey for a specific purpose.
• Whichever you choose, ask for a current lab result for the batch you are buying.

Sidr, Manuka and Australian honey

Australia also has its own well-known honeys. For Australian shoppers the useful comparison is simple: what plant, what place, what season, and what lab result for this batch. Yemeni Sidr answers all four, and so should any honey you pay a premium for.

What neither honey is

• Not a medicine. Both are foods with interesting laboratory research behind them.
• Not all the same. A low-grade Manuka and a secondary-season Sidr are very different from the best of each.
• Not safe for babies. No honey is suitable for infants under 12 months.

Can you take both?

Yes. Some of our customers keep Manuka for one purpose and Sidr as their daily honey. They are both honey; the main thing is not to overdo the sugar.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sidr honey better than Manuka?

Neither is simply better. They are different honeys with different strengths, graded differently.

Does Sidr honey have side effects?

It is a food, eaten for centuries. Like all honey, it is not suitable for infants under 12 months, it is high in sugar, and anyone allergic to bee products should avoid it.

Is there a UMF rating for Sidr?

No. UMF is built for Manuka. Sidr's activity is reported as TA.

The studies behind this page, and what each one does and does not show, are listed on our research page.

Sources

• Alandejani et al., 2009: Effectiveness of honey on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms (University of Ottawa; Sidr and Manuka)
• Sidr honey: A comprehensive review of its nutritional value, biological impact, and potential health benefits (ScienceDirect, 2026)
• Great Taste 2026: Royal Yemeni Sidr Honey, 2-Star
• ALS Food & Environmental, the laboratory that tests our Sidr