Honey, a wonderful golden liquid that has a composition of a complex mixture of sugars, water, vitamins, minerals, pollen and protein. It is made by these wonderful little black and yellow foragers known as bees, who collect nectar from flowers (or honeydew) near and far, store it in their honey stomachs (crops) and regurgitate it into the little vessels of the hive. The vessel is then fanned with their wings which leads to water being evaporated and the pure honey remaining.
Bees have been going about their business for more than 100 million years according to fossil evidence of these little creatures that have been preserved in resin. Cave paintings in Spain dating back 8,000 years ago show that humans have relied on bees by raiding their nests and collecting the sweet liquid they produce. The earliest evidence of beekeeping was in Ancient Egypt where hives made of clay from the Nile were placed on rafts that travelled up and down the river depending on the season.
Honey bees, honey and wax were a part of everyday life in the ancient world. The application of honeybees’ by-products was used for culinary purposes, spiritual and religious rituals, embalming, medicinal treatments and even as a currency.
Credit @heather_gill
Honey is classified according to the floral source (monofloral, polyfloral, blend) and by region or country. It can be bought in both its raw form and pasteurized form. Raw honey comes straight from the honeycomb, is mashed and filtered to remove the honeycomb and other debris. Honey in its raw state is unadulterated, containing beneficial health and medicinal properties due to the pollen, propolis, antioxidants, natural vitamins and minerals present. When honey is pasteurized, it results in a smooth clearer liquid and while it is aesthetically pleasing, will contain a loss of vitamins, essential nutrients and minerals.
When choosing honey, it is important to seek out the genuine product, making sure it is pure and contains no added corn syrup, sugarcane or additives.
Honey is such a versatile ingredient and can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes, an additive to drinks, marinades, dressings and even as natural medicine. I’ve used it to make a show-stopping layered cake that can be made a day in advance. It’s known as the Medovik Torte or Russian Honey cake. You can try the recipe HERE.
