About Honey

With so many different types of honey on the market, how can you figure out which is the best? Also, what’s the difference in the labels between ‘raw’, ‘pure’ and ‘organic’? Although they are all types of honey, the little differences in the labels can mean a lot to consumers. It is best to fully understand what kind of honey and its purity that you are buying, which you wish to ultimately benefit your health. Raw honey is best described as honey “as it exists in the beehive” (1). It is made by extracting honey from the honeycombs of the hive and pouring it over a mesh or nylon cloth to separate the honey from impurities like beeswax and dead bees (2). Once strained, raw honey is bottled and ready to be enjoyed Unfortunately, science has no 'test' to ascertain that honey is 'raw'. To make sure you are buying raw honey, look at the label. It should say “100% raw” or “unpasteurized”. Words like “organic” and “pure” do not indicate that the honey was unheated. The healthiest type of honey is raw, unprocessed honey, as there are no additives or preservatives or any man/machine process done. Organic Honey: Organic honey is a term used for the honey collected by bees from the pollen of organically grown flowering plants, and without chemical miticides to treat the bees. Organic honey ensures that honey is produced and harvested without contact with pesticides that may be sprayed on or near the plants visited by honeybees. While organic honey does not contain chemicals and pesticides, it may not be raw or unheated. Monoflorals: They are characterized by having a greater amount of nectar from a single type of flower. While the honey may not have the 'scent' of the flower, the benefits of the flowering plant are noticable. This honey may have different colour shades of amber (usually lighter). The texture of this honey is usually thinner than polyfloral honey. This is also a 'seasonal honey' as the harvest is done at the change of flowering season in the locality. Multifloral honey: In this honey the presence of any particular flower does not dominate, it contains a great variety of nectars collected from a wide variety of flowers. Organic honey is certified by third party associations and Government agencies by periodically auditing and verify the local area of beekeeping for the kind of organic agriculture farms (who may use pesticides and chemicals for their farming). The auditors also audit if any artificial food (sugars/chemicals) are fed to the hive. Infused honey is also known as flavored honey. It is a delicious concoction made using a wide range of herbs and spices with honey. These ingredients are intensely infused in the honey to give it a unique taste that enhances its mild flavor as well as enhance the health benefits of both the herbs and honey. Usually, cinnamon, ginger, curcumin, lemon, Jalapeno, or fruit juices are used to create infused honey. This is similar to the different varieties of tea (herbal tea, chocolate tea, masala tea etc) The infusion can be made at the time of intake by the consumer or may buy ready infused honey. From a health point of view, it is beneficial to consume freshly infused flavoring elements as the potency of the elements are more pronounced. Wild Honey is collected by honey harvesters from wild forests. This honey is made by wild bees in the wilderness and the hives are usually tree hanging. This honey is said be collected from leaves of trees and not from the nectar of flowers. This is perhaps the purest form of honey, as it is collected from 'natural' beehives located in the forests. The honey derived is also called honey dew. This honey is usually darker than other kinds of honey. Likewise, its flavor is strong, a little sweet and with salty notes; so it is less sweet than other varieties of honey. The aroma is intense and floral.