As you may have guessed from their name, it is honey bees who make the honey we eat.
Like all bees, they forage pollen and nectar from plants, but honey bees choose to use this nectar to create honey. They do this by mixing the nectar with enzymes, storing it in their iconic hexagonal honeycombs, then tirelessly fanning the mixture with their wings to evaporate the excess water. They seal it inside the honeycomb with beeswax, and the final ingredient is time.
To bees, honey is their reserve food, intended to help them survive when other sources of food are scarce, such as in the winter. They invented the perfect product for this since their honey never spoils.
To humans, honey is seen as a healthy alternative to sugar, a toast topping and a form of medicine. Let’s take a look at each of these:
Honey vs sugar:
Honey supplies the body with simple sugars that are converted into energy, but it differs from sugar in that it contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants. After all, bees use honey as a source of nutrition, whereas no one eats sugar as a source of nutrition. While honey is most likely healthier than sugar, it still has substantial similarities, so do not take this post as justification to sit down with a jar of honey and a spoon, telling yourself it’s a healthy meal. Humans are not bees. Eating that much honey in one go, even if it’s a high quality product from your local beekeeper, would not be good for you. Sorry.
Honey on toast:
Yes.
Honey as medicine:
Throughout human history, honey has been championed as having a multitude of health benefits, including soothing sore throats, moisturising skin and healing wounds. These benefits have been investigated scientifically and the NHS even prescribes medical grade honey as a treatment for certain wounds. For me, there’s nothing like a hot mug of honey, lemon & ginger when I’m feeling under the weather. It’s a warming and comforting home remedy.
So, what is honey? It’s a way of life for bees and it’s a remarkable and curious part of human culture.
