Honey World

You might not fancy having something that has been produced by insects. These swarms of insects produce honey using a very simple process and it is one of the most amazing foods on our palette. Baffled scientists are trying to determine more uses of this wondrous food in everyday life.

We are certainly not the first civilization to recognize honey as a truly marvelous food with many redeeming qualities. The Romans actually used honey to pay their taxes instead of gold. While this did not happen during the entire 1,000 year reign of the Roman Empire, it nonetheless remains true that honey was used to pay taxes.

Honey was a part of the human culture even before the Roman Empire existed. Not surprisingly, it was the only sweetening agent used in cooking until the usage of the refined sugar and molasses began. Even 9,000 years old cave paintings have been found to depict honey in them.

You can choose from nearly 300 different varieties of honey. It is also available in a wide assortment of colors and flavors. By the color and taste of honey you can know what flowers the bees collected the nectar from to make the honey.

In terms of chemical analysis, honey is essentially a form of naturally refined sugar. It is basically 38 percent fructose, 31 percent glucose, 1 percent sucrose, and 9 percent other sugars, though there can be some variations in the ratios. The remaining 21 percent of honey is made up of vitamins, minerals, water, and various amino acids. Scientists have shown a keen interest in these vitamins, minerals, and amino acids because of their potential medical benefits.

You would be surprised to know that the honey found beside the mummies had not spoilt and was absolutely safe to eat. The reason this honey did not spoil is because honey is known to have a bioactive agent in it that inhibits the action of germs and bacteria on it. This also makes honey a very good topical treatment in case of burns and other wounds. It can prevent the wound or burn from becoming infected. However a thing to be remembered here is that the bioactive agent of honey breaks down in heat and light. So honey should always be preserved in a cool, dark place if you wish to retain its ability to repel bacteria.

The most common form of honey is liquid honey though honey is available in different varieties as well. The process of collecting honey involves removing it from the comb using a centrifuge, straining, or just simple gravity. You may want to filter it to remove all the impurities and air bubbles. If you strain it, chances are that the smaller particles and air bubbles will remain.

Honey has a history as old as man himself, and is still the only naturally refined sugar available to us. It is a wonder food as it can repel bacteria and remain edible after centuries of being buried with mummies. We have still not discovered all the benefits and secrets of honey. Who knows, it may have some medical miracles waiting to be discovered in future. Even if we know all about honey there is no denying the fact that it remains one of the sweetest substances on earth.

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Gillian Stell is the owner of F honey, the web's premier resource for information about honey, For questions or comments about this article visit: www.flahoney.com/articles
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