Thanks in part to its trendiness, a jar of manuka honey can command a high price anywhere from $20 to more than $100 , depending on quality and quantity which is a far cry from the $5 bear-shaped bottle of honey youll find at your typical grocery store. Kourtney Kardashian and Victoria Beckham made it a trendy beauty remedy a couple of years ago when they used it in face masks, and it probably comes as no surprise that Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan.

But how is it different from any other type of honey? If youre wondering what all the fuss is about and whether you should be dropping your dollars on this much-hyped honey, heres what you need to know.

What is manuka honey, anyway?

Manuka honey is made by bees that pollinate the manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium). This particular plant is native to both New Zealand and Australia, though the labeling of Australian honey as manuka is somewhat controversial, with folks from New Zealand calling for the same kinds of protections for their product as Champagne and similar prestige products associated with a specific region or country.