Honey

Honey As A Natural Sweetener

Honey is a natural sweetener made by bees from floral nectar by regurgitation, enzymatic activity and water evaporation. As a food, honey is extremely nutritious and loaded with minerals, amino acids, vitamin c and antioxidants. This is why it has long been an important staple food item in many communities. From a flavour perspective, it has about the same relative sweetness as sucrose (table sugar) which is why honey is used extensively in recipes for cooking, baking, desserts, as a spread on bread, to sweeten beverages such as tea, and as a sweetener in commercially produced foods and drinks. 

Honey is graded by colour; clear, golden amber colouring is often sold at a premium, whereas darker varieties are typically cheaper. In turn, the flavour will vary based on the types of flowers from which the nectar was harvested.

One of the biggest advantages of this over sugar, beyond its denser nutritional value, is that it results in a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels. Therefore, it does not spike blood sugar levels and satisfies a sweet tooth longer than sugar.  

Benefits of Honey

• Bolsters Antioxidant Protection
• Boosts Energy Naturally
• Healthy Weight Management
• Helps Counter Pollen Allergies
• Natural Cough Suppressant

Choosing the Best Honey Option for Your Needs

You can purchase either raw or pasteurized honey. Raw honey has been removed from the hive and bottled immediately, containing trace amounts of yeast, wax and pollen, along with many nutrients. Whereas when it's processed, been, as the name implies, processed (typically heated and pasteurized), so loses a considerable amount of its nutritional value and health benefits. There’s also manuka honey which has a grading spectrum where higher grades offer therapeutic health benefits and lower grades or doses are for everyday use. manuka honey is raw and has a great flavour.

Most pasteurized formulas taste the same, offering a general, homogenized mildly bland flavour. So if you're looking for a true flavour that's robust, look for raw, unfiltered honey.