Honey

What is honey?

Bees produces honey out of the nectar they take from various types of flower. The honey is a sweet food with amazing healing properties. It is sweeter and healthier than sugar and therefore is used to prepare a countless delicious dishes.

Honey gathering was an activity practiced on a large scale in ancient times. It is said that 10000 years ago, people were using honey to prepare their food. In ancient Egypt honey was used to prepared various dishes but also to embalm the dead bodies. For the ancient Romans, honey had such a great value, that often it was used instead of gold for paying the taxes. The ancient Greeks used honey to cure inflammations and cuts. They also considered that honey was the Goods' food and therefore they used it in religious rituals. The Maya population, living in South America also used honey to prepare their food. Even during the Middle Ages, when the majority of diseases were considered a sing of divine punishment and therefore not treated properly, honey was used to relieve the pain caused by various aches and pains. Unfortunately, honey ceased to be used as a medicine after the Word War II, due to the invention and large scale usage of antibiotics.



In the Holy Bible, in both the Old and the New Testament, there are numerous references to honey. For the Hindu people honey is one of the five elixirs of immortality, while for the Jewish people it symbolizes the beginning of the New Year. During the traditional New Year lunch, pieces of apple are soaked into honey to bring happiness during the year to come. For Buddhists, honey is very important, especially during the Madhu Purnima festival, which is celebrated in India and Bangladesh. The Koran followers claim that Mohamed recommended the consumption of honey for therapeutic reasons.

Honey is made of: water, carbohydrates, fructose, glucose, sucrose, proteins, amino acids, vitamins and various minerals.

The honey has many therapeutical benefits. The honey has antiseptic and anti bacterial properties which have recently been explained through scientific methods. The reduced activity of water in honey determines the osmosis and thus the honey actions like an antibiotic being a very good treatment for bowels problems.

The nutritious values of honey are extremely important. Honey contain carbohydrates and polyphenols. These antioxidants prevent and treat colon problems. They also strengthen the immune system and reduce the level of cholesterol.

It is important to know that honey is a miraculous food that never expires. It is said that the archeologists have found honey jars in tombs having more than 2000 years of age. When they opened the jars and tasted the honey within, this was still sweet and flavored.

Life in the hive
The process of honey making or how do bees make honey?