National Dish New Zealand: Manuka Honey Glazed Ham (Recipe)
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Few dishes say New Zealand celebration quite like a Manuka Honey Glazed Ham. The floral, almost caramel sweetness of the country’s most famous honey meets the deep savoury character of a good ham, and slow roasting turns the two into a burnished, sticky crust worth fighting over. It is the centrepiece Kiwi families bring out at Christmas and for big summer gatherings — generous, unfussy and impossible to forget.
About Manuka Honey Glazed Ham
Manuka Honey Glazed Ham is a genuinely distinctive dish that captures the spirit of traditional New Zealand cooking. It marries the natural sweetness of top-quality manuka honey with the hearty seasoning of a well-cured ham. Each piece is carefully basted so that a glossy, deeply flavoured crust builds up in the oven, intensifying the aromas with every glaze. It is a dish made for festive occasions, when you want to spoil family and friends with something a little out of the ordinary.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 500 g ham (ideally from an organic farm)
- 100 g manuka honey
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Shopping for the ingredients
When you shop for a manuka honey glazed ham, pay particular attention to the quality of the manuka honey. It has a flavour unlike any other honey and is also prized for its health-giving properties. Organic and local sources are usually the best bet if you want fresh, unadulterated produce. It is worth asking about the provenance of the ham too, so you know you are starting with a genuinely good cut — the same care that pays off in a Lamb Roast with Mint Sauce.
Preparing the dish
Preparation matters here: have everything measured and ready before the oven goes on. That not only speeds up the cooking, it also means nothing gets forgotten halfway through. Start by unwrapping the ham and trimming away any excess layers of fat. Keep your work surface and utensils scrupulously clean so the whole process runs smoothly from start to finish.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
- In a bowl, mix the manuka honey, mustard, cinnamon, ground cloves and cider vinegar with a little salt and pepper until smooth.
- Brush the ham evenly all over with the honey-mustard glaze.
- Set the ham in a roasting dish and bake for about 45 minutes, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes.
- Take the ham out of the oven, let it rest briefly, then carve into slices.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Manuka honey glazed ham is naturally gluten-free and lactose-free, which makes it a reliable choice for guests with food intolerances. Do check, though, that the mustard and the cider vinegar you use are certified gluten-free, as some brands slip in wheat-based thickeners. Reading the labels carefully is the simplest way to be sure the dish suits everyone at the table.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Although manuka honey glazed ham is traditionally made with ham, there are creative vegan and vegetarian routes to a similar result. In place of the ham, try smoked tofu or a firm vegetable roast, brushed with the same glaze mixture. These options are every bit as delicious, and arguably more interesting. Play with different spices and aromatics until you land on something that echoes the character of the original.
More tips and tricks
A few small habits make a real difference. Let the ham come up to room temperature before it goes into the oven, as this encourages far more even cooking. An extra coat of glaze partway through the bake gives a more intense sweetness and a crisper crust. If you want a particularly juicy result, pour a splash of stock into the roasting dish to keep the air around the meat moist.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
The recipe takes happily to personal tweaks. Experiment with additional spices such as paprika or ginger for extra depth, or lean into warmer, smokier notes if that suits your table better. The sweetness is entirely in your hands too — simply use more or less honey. A few adjustments and the dish becomes unmistakably yours.
Ingredient substitutions
Sometimes you have to work with what is in the cupboard. In place of manuka honey, another high-quality honey will do the job, though the characteristic floral note will shift slightly. The mustard can be swapped for a vegan version made without animal products. Substitutions like these keep the recipe accessible without losing what makes it good, much as they do in a Roast Venison with Berry Sauce.
Drink pairing ideas
Manuka honey glazed ham gets on well with a wide range of drinks. Try it with a crisp cider, which picks up the sweetness of the glaze beautifully. Red wines such as Pinot Noir or Merlot also work, rounding out the savoury depth of the ham. For something without alcohol, a sparkling lemon water or a fruit smoothie makes a refreshing companion — as does a bottle of Lemon and Paeroa, New Zealand’s own soft drink.
Serving and presentation ideas
Thoughtful presentation lifts the whole occasion. Serve the ham on a handsome platter, garnished with fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme. Add seasonal side dishes alongside — roasted vegetables, a fresh salad, or a bowl of Buttered Kumara. The result looks generous and inviting, and gives you a lovely interplay of flavours and textures on the plate.
A bit of history
Manuka honey glazed ham is not merely a recipe; it is a small piece of New Zealand culture. Manuka honey is gathered from the nectar of the manuka flower and has a long history of use in the country, both in the kitchen and as a remedy. Its unusual properties have since made it famous well beyond these shores. Baking a ham this way is a tradition kept up in countless New Zealand households at festive times of year, and it speaks to a genuine affection for New Zealand cuisine and its home-grown ingredients.
More recipe ideas
- Roast Chicken with Kumara
- Corned Beef with Mustard Sauce
- Pea Ham and Mint Soup
- Walnut and Honey Tart
- Roasted Pumpkin and Kumara Salad
Summary: Manuka Honey Glazed Ham
All told, manuka honey glazed ham is a fragrant, deeply satisfying dish that turns any celebration into an event and carries the flavour of New Zealand with it. It is straightforward to make and endlessly open to variation. Whether you serve it with traditional ham or with a vegetarian alternative, the pairing of sweet manuka honey and warm savoury spices is bound to win people over. Give the recipe a go and bring a slice of New Zealand tradition to your own table.
