A guilt-free alternative to sugar
Honey has long been recognised both as a natural superfood and for its healing qualities. The ancient Egyptians used honey as a sweetener, baked honey cakes as a gift to their gods and even used it as an ingredient in embalming fluid. The Greeks, too, made honey cakes including a form of cheesecake, while the Romans used honey extensively in cooking.
Bees can fly for up to six miles, although one or two is more common.
Honey is a natural source of carbohydrate, providing 17 grams per tablespoon. It also contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.
Honey also contains a variety of flavonoids and phenolic acids which act as antioxidants, helping to eliminate harmful free radicals.
The nature of honey varies widely depending on what the bees forage from. The darker the honey, the stronger the flavour will be and nectar will have come from flowers such as hawthorn and wild cherry. Paler varieties, for example, from rape, are milder.
If you’re feeling low, try a spoonful of honey as a pick-me-up. The fructose and glucose in honey are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.
Use honey in cooking instead of sugar – it’s sweeter than sugar so you need to use less.
Honey is hygroscopic (meaning it attracts water) so it is good to use when baking cakes as it keeps them moister for longer.
It has antiseptic properties and can be used as a remedy for ailments from sore throats to burns and cuts.