Know More About - Honey
The Nectar of the Gods
Dark and rich, light and luscious, plain or flavoured, raw, organic and versatile, honey is all the goodness you need in one bottle. Start your day with a spoonful of it and you’ll be set for the day ahead
We just recently came across a meme which depicted a worker bee lying on the psychiatrist chair and stating that saving the future now lies upon its shoulders. Simply put, the more the bees pollinate, the more fertilisation and reproduction of plants takes place, thus favouring the protection and growth of a sustainable environment. Environmental protection, as we know, is the need of the hour! And what do we get from the bee? That golden liquid we use to sweeten our lives the natural way.
Did you know that one worker bee produces approximately one tbsp of honey in its lifetime? Just one! And the amount of work that goes into producing it, from sucking the nectar of the flower to regurgitating it to give us the dehydrated version which we know as honey. Which means the bee must travel 88,500 kms and tap 2 million flowers to gather ½ kg honey. If that isn’t hard work, what is! Honey is then, undisputedly, nectar given to us straight from the Gods, meant to nourish our bodies and feed our souls with its sweet goodness. Two to three tbsps of honey a day – less for women, more for men – is recommended for a healthy gut and lifestyle; of course, moderately, as it is a sugar after all.
Ancient civilisations knew nothing else but honey, as a natural sweetener. Then it was used for a multitude of purposes, from enhancing food to serving as a divine offering. While the Egyptians used honey as a sacrifice to the Gods, the Greeks used it to treat ailments like gout and to heal wounds. The Romans used it in most of their recipes and the Europeans fuelled the lamps in their monasteries with honey. Honey is mentioned in holy books like the Bible and the Quran, and in Ayurvedic scripture, meant to be a sacred ingredient, made in keeping with authentic practices.
Unadulterated, raw and pure honey is the way to go, but it is not the case with most consumers who get their honey in processed form from large scale manufacturers and big brands. The quality of honey matters, and how! The aroma of honey which is fresh and pure, extracted straight from the nectar, bears a hint of the flowers it belonged to. Natural, organic honey will not be sweet as sweet can be but will bear a faint bit of raw bitterness to it. Test to see if you are using the real stuff by checking its consistency. Drop a tsp of honey into a glass of water and if it settles like a lump at the bottom, it’s pure. If it mixes and becomes one with the water, it probably isn’t. One must remember that honey is best consumed with a wooden spoon as metal changes the properties of the liquid and extracts the live enzymes present in it – those beneficial enzymes that work in favour of our gut.
Honey has been hailed for years as a wonder food. Whether it be a remedy for acid reflux, an antibacterial solution, a cough and cold reducer, especially in young children, when stirred into a cup of hot milk, a combative measure to high blood pressure and arthritis, and a fighter against cancer as well, with antioxidant properties rendered by the flavonoids and polyphenols, the two main bioactive molecules present in honey… Honey is a necessity in our daily diet.
Use honey in your cooking and you’ll have your diners eating straight out of your hands. We start the day with honey, lemon and warm water which works wonders on the immune system, and go on to include the nectar in a cup of oats porridge. You can do whatever suits you and your taste buds. Add it to your muffins and discover how beautifully it balances the flavour of the muffin. Glaze your sliced carrots and add a dash of herbs if you like, and watch the honey act as the perfect shimmery coating to the carrot. A roast chicken on your menu? Brown the skin with honey, why don’t you? Here’s another favourite: peanut butter with honey and banana. And when using it in baking, you can’t go wrong as it works to keep cakes and biscuits moist. When compared with refined sources of sugar, honey is not just healthier – lower glycemic index, more vitamins, minerals and healing properties – but offers a richer colour and flavour to your confections and your savouries.
Savour the flavour of honey and you’ll be tasting the nectar of the Gods. Seems poetic but it works! Ever noted the effect it has on your beloved when you enter the house and sing out, ‘Hi honey, I’m home’. Like we said, it works.
