Honey the Natural Sweetener

September 12, 2021

Honey the Natural Sweetener

Honey is the sweet amber to rich gold flavorful fluid produced by bees from the nectar of flowers. It is healthy food, a popular alternative to sugar, and known to be the easiest food digested by the stomach. Aside from its being rich in carbohydrates, honey also contains vitamins and antioxidants that bring instant vitality to the human body.

History & Production of Pure Honey

Dating back to the Egyptians 5,500 B.C.E., bees were already making honey millions of years earlier than the evolution of the homo sapiens. It is also believed that honeybees originated in Southern Asia in 2100 B.C. Many bees also have their origin in North America which by 1800, the honeybees were said to fly off the wilderness and crossed the Mississippi River. It's amazing that there are around 12,000 known varieties of bees around the world where only the Apis Mellifica bees store honey.

The last hundred years of experience in traditional honey-making cultivated the array of subtle-melting honey flavors made from 100% natural goodness that we see in the market now. Until sugar, honey was generally used in many centuries as a major sweetener.

How to Choose Honey

The color and flavor of honey are derivative of the nectar from where it is drawn and the place where the flower grows. Honey today has plenty of great flavors coming from the tree, plant, or flower from the region where it is harvested. Just like the way wine grapes are affected by their environment while growing, honey is also altered by temperature.

One common belief when buying honey is the darker it comes the more flavor it provides. A thing to note though is that different honey imparts its own distinctive flavor and color. White honey, for instance, is created from mild flowers and recommended for salads while the typical brown is for tea and beverages.

I have tasted green, blue, purple, and white honey which I got from a genuine honey collector. While purple is the most expensive followed by blue that comes from wildflowers, I love the green honey made under the ground. Adding it to milk, I get a wonderfully-tasting late-night warm milk.

Many commercial processors already produce filtered versions that have undergone heating. Unfortunately, this practice removes the most beneficial pollen. You can find authentic honey from a certified beekeeper or from a local farmer's market. Join a beekeeping club or be your own beekeeper to enjoy the unique world of honeycombs, and taste honey straight from the hive.

Honey Delights

To this time, honey has been seen as a condiment to flavor dishes. Since the food retains its moisture and does not freeze nor ferment, it is a perfect baking ingredient that yields moisture in baked goods. It also provides an evenly colored crust in cakes, biscuits, and bread. Use it as a super drizzle over ice cream and pancakes, or simply add to a cup of your favorite beverage.

Raw honey is a tradition to me since childhood. We add it in our beverages, or as a spread when we ran out of butter. It is also a baking mainstay in my mother's holiday bakeshop. Up to this day, many people use raw honey for their naturally occurring enzymes, antioxidants, and nutrients.

If you can try the blue or purple honey, you'll love how the unique flavor that comes from bees feeding freely on distinct floral resources. Pure honey is collected by hand using traditional methods.

One of the most delicious honey today is Thyme honey created from the pollen of the thyme plant. Are you familiar with the world's voted best-flavored honey, the Le Grand Miel Thousand Flower Honey? It is lightly scented with the essence of acacia. lavender and orange trees created in the Pyrenees region of France's premier beekeepers.

Storing Honey

Keep honey in a well-sealed container to avoid moisture and dust from mixing into it, and then store it at room temperature. It is best not to refrigerate honey although these days many have been chilling this "nature" food for added goodness. If honey crystallizes, place the container in warm water until the crystals dissolve.

Get the Most Delicious Honey from Around the World

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