Honey is a natural sweet food produced by bees from the nectar of flowers, consumed for millennia and appreciated for its taste, especially when it is eaten raw, that is to say unheated and unpasteurised. As part of a varied and balanced diet, it remains a delicious pleasure provided you choose its origin, its freshness and its method of harvest well, which we detail in this article.
In this article I wanted to step off the beaten track a little by telling you about some surprising historical and social facts about honey, which has been present in our cultures for a very long time. I also chose to share with you the reasons why we offer our spices in whole form (turmeric and sliced ginger, cinnamon sticks) and not as powder. I also share a homemade honey hair mask recipe.
Honey, a sweet food enjoyed for millennia, has a history and a diversity that go well beyond its delicious taste.
Honey also pairs very well with other ingredients such as cinnamon and turmeric : these are classic pairings in cooking, which we are going to review.
In this article, we will explore surprising facts about honey, from how bees make it to the mysteries of beekeeping, including its history and its link with the environment. Ready to discover the wonders of this ancestral food?
The combination of honey with cinnamon is a great classic, found in hot drinks, pastries or compotes: the sweetness of honey rounds off the warm, spicy side of cinnamon.
We recommend using cinnamon sticks that you grind into powder at the moment of use, with a spice mill or a rechargeable mini blender. Indeed, ground cinnamon oxidises over time and loses part of its aroma. By contrast, cinnamon stick, freshly ground, keeps its aromatic compounds better, such as cinnamaldehyde, which gives it its characteristic smell.
Honey and turmeric: an alliance of flavours
Honey pairs well with turmeric : its sweetness balances the earthy and slightly bitter flavour of the spice, in a warm drink, a vinaigrette or a marinade.
As with cinnamon, we recommend ideally using fresh organic turmeric, or fresh turmeric juice. You can prepare a large quantity of turmeric juice in advance, extracted with a juice extractor, then keep this turmeric juice in the form of ice cubes that you take out of the freezer according to your needs.
You can also opt for our low-temperature dehydrated turmeric slices, which you can store under vacuum using our BocUp, which makes it possible to vacuum-seal any container
However, avoid powdered turmeric, which will inevitably oxidise over time.
Honey and ginger: a spicy match
The combination of raw honey and ginger is another classic: the heat of ginger and the roundness of honey answer each other in a warm infusion, a marinade or a dessert.
Moreover, like cinnamon and turmeric, fresh ginger has more flavour than ginger ground to powder and stored for a long time: its aromatic compounds, such as the gingerols that give it its bite, diminish in part during drying and storage.
As an alternative to fresh ginger, we offer low-temperature dehydrated sliced ginger , which we advise you to store under vacuum with our low-tech device BocUp, which makes it possible to vacuum-store any jar.
Homemade honey hair mask
Honey can also go into a homemade hair mask. It retains moisture (it is said to be humectant), which makes it a common ingredient in homemade care recipes for dry hair.
1 tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil (depending on your preference)
1 tablespoon of plant-based yoghurt (optional for extra moisture)
5 to 10 drops of essential oil (optional, for example lavender, for the scent)
Instructions
Preparing the mixture: In a small bowl, mix the honey with the olive oil or coconut oil. If you choose to add plant-based yoghurt, stir it into this mixture.
Adding essential oils: If you would like to personalise your mask with essential oils, add them now and mix well to obtain an even consistency.
Application: Apply the mask to your dry or slightly damp hair, starting at the roots and covering all of your hair down to the ends, gently massaging the scalp.
Leave-on time: Leave the mask on for 20 to 30 minutes. For an optimal result, you can wrap your hair in a warm towel to encourage absorption.
Rinsing: Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water, then wash with your usual shampoo. You can also use a light conditioner for even softer hair.
Frequency of use
You can use this mask once a week.
What honey brings to the mask
Intensive hydration: Honey attracts moisture, leaving your hair soft and shiny.
Honey and nutrition: a sweet food above all
Honey is above all made up of sugars (fructose and glucose) and water. It also contains, in small quantities, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and phenolic compounds, the content of which varies according to the original flower. It is a sweet food, to be consumed as such, in moderation.
Environmental impact of beekeeping
I am talking to you about honey, but without bees there would be no honey. Beekeeping, beyond its contribution to honey production, plays an essential role in the conservation of biodiversity and the health of ecosystems. It promotes pollination, a vital process for plant reproduction. Beekeepers, by creating areas rich in floral diversity, help to feed bees and other pollinating insects, thus supporting biodiversity as a whole
Environmental impact of beekeeping:
Contribution to biodiversity: The practice of beekeeping facilitates cross-pollination, which benefits plants and agriculture.
Reflection of floral diversity: The type of honey produced depends on the flowers foraged, which underlines the importance of natural habitats.
Defending bee populations: Fighting bee mortality is crucial to prevent imbalances in pollination and plant reproduction.
Supporting sustainable beekeeping is therefore a direct commitment to the environment, essential to protect and enrich our ecosystems.
Did you know that one of the first coins in the world bore the symbol of a bee?
Indeed, the history of money reveals fascinating facts. In the ancient city of Ephesus, located in what is now Turkey, coins struck around the 6th century BC bore the image of this emblematic insect. The bee was not a random choice; it represented important traits of the society of the time.
This emblem was a symbol of diligence, prosperity and communal order, qualities highly esteemed by the Ephesians. The bee, through its essential role in pollination and its ability to produce honey, was intrinsically linked to the notion of abundance and wealth. In Ephesus, the bee was also associated with the goddess Artemis, who was venerated as protector of the city. Thus, this iconographic choice reflected a genuine cultural and spiritual meaning, giving these historical coins a special status among the first forms of money.
Did you know that honey contains living enzymes?
Honey is much more than a simple natural sweetener: raw honey contains enzymes, provided by the bees. Among them are notably amylase and diastase, which take part in the hive in transforming starch and complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. Another notable enzyme is glucose oxidase*, which transforms glucose into hydrogen peroxide, one of the reasons honey keeps so well. These enzymes also contribute to the character of raw honey, and they are sensitive to heat. *Glucose oxidase : an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide in honey.
A handy tip : never add your raw honey directly to a boiling drink. Let it cool below 40 °C before stirring in the honey, this is the only way to truly preserve the amylase and diastase mentioned above.
Moreover, the presence of these enzymes in raw honey sets it apart from other sweeteners that are heat-treated, thereby losing these constituents. Each variety of honey has its own composition, depending on the flowers foraged.
Did you know that bees also make propolis?
Propolis, made up of tree and plant resins, is collected and processed by these industrious insects, which use it to seal and protect their hive.
Did you know that honey has no expiry date?
It is fascinating to note that honey, a naturally sweet product made by bees, has the ability to remain edible for millennia. Indeed, jars of honey dating back more than 5,000 years have been discovered during archaeological excavations in Georgia, testifying to this remarkable preservation.
The key to this longevity lies in the unique properties of honey: its high sugar content and low water content create a high osmolarity, which discourages the growth of bacteria. In addition, as we have already seen, raw honey contains hydrogen peroxide, produced by glucose oxidase, which also contributes to its good preservation.
Because of these characteristics, honey does not deteriorate in the same way as other foods. Thus, as long as the environment in which it is stored remains stable and the container is airtight, honey keeps its edible qualities indefinitely. It is therefore not an exaggeration to say that raw honey defies the laws of food perishability. Of course, the authorities require that a best-before date be shown on jars of honey, like all packaged food products.
Did you know that the bodies of the greatest emperors in the world were buried coated in honey?
Honey, beyond its sweet taste, has a remarkable historical character. This golden nectar was notably used in ancient funeral rites for its preserving qualities. A fascinating historical fact reveals that some of the greatest emperors were buried in tombs of gold and their bodies coated in honey. The aim of this practice was to slow the decomposition of the bodies.
This ancestral process highlights the preserving properties of honey, which then acted as a protective substance against degradation. For example, in the rites of ancient Greece, the body of Alexander the Great is said to have been preserved in a sarcophagus filled with honey, in addition to his beloved beer.
These ancestral methods testify to an early knowledge of the preserving power of honey, today attributed to its low moisture content and to the presence of hydrogen peroxide, which slow the growth of micro-organisms.
Do you know where the expression "honeymoon" comes from?
It is interesting to note that even culture is fascinated by honey. The origin of the expression "honeymoon" (in French, "lune de miel") is often associated with an ancient tradition in which newly married couples consumed honey daily after their wedding, a symbol of sweetness and happiness. Even today, this term evokes a sweet and enchanted period following the wedding, similar to the sweetness of honey. Traditionally, it was also common for newlyweds to drink a honey-based drink, such as mead. The "moon" refers to the first lunar month following the wedding, the period during which the practice was observed. Thus, honey and the honeymoon are linked to the symbolism of sweetness and prosperity in married life.
Do you know avocado honey and orange blossom honey?
In our shop we have chosen to offer you two varieties of honey that are uncommon in France:
Avocado honey: our avocado honey comes from the flowers of the avocado tree. It stands out for its unique, atypical taste and its creamy yet fairly liquid texture. This honey, often very dark in colour, has a pronounced character that goes well with yoghurts, toast and pastries.
Biovie offers two raw honeys from Andalusia, unprocessed, unpasteurised and unfiltered: avocado honey, thick and caramelised, awarded at the 2022 National Congress of Spanish Beekeepers, and orange blossom honey, lighter and floral. Sourced from fields farmed organically but not certified (honey certification requires a foraging radius of several kilometres, which is hard to guarantee in practice), they keep their original texture and aromas, with no heating that would alter their qualities. Avocado honey pairs well with muesli and pastries; orange blossom honey naturally sweetens infusions and desserts. A handcrafted olive wood spoon completes the range, so you can serve it without losing a drop., 3
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Orange blossom honey: A sweet and fragrant alternative, orange blossom honey is harvested from orange blossoms, offering a delicate and uniquely floral flavour. It is often used in cooking to sweeten desserts or drinks naturally while adding a subtle citrus note.
How honey is made, and why there are 300 kinds
The journey of nectar to the jar deserves to be known, because it explains everything else. Forager bees store the nectar in their crop, regurgitate it at the hive and pass it to one another from mouth to mouth : at each passage, enzymes break complex sugars down into simple sugars. The nectar thus transformed is deposited in cells, dehydrated by the bees' fanning, then capped with wax.
It is then the original flower that makes all the difference in taste, colour and texture: more than 300 types of honey are recorded in the world. Linden, lavender, fir, chestnut, orange blossom, avocado: each has its own character, and a dark honey is not a lower-quality honey, often quite the contrary.
Variety
Colour and texture
Distinctive feature
Acacia
Very light, almost transparent
Mild flavour, crystallises very slowly, one of the most universally liked varieties in cooking
Eucalyptus
Amber, sometimes orange
Pronounced taste, minty and woody, fine and fairly quick crystallisation
Thyme
Dark amber
Pronounced herbaceous aroma, typical of Mediterranean scrubland honeys
Chestnut
Dark brown, sometimes reddish
Robust, slightly bitter flavour, crystallises little
Dark honey (buckwheat, heather...)
Very dark, almost opaque
Powerful, distinctive taste, appreciated by lovers of robust honeys
Avocado and orange blossom, the two varieties we offer, sit respectively on the side of dark honeys and light honeys: a good overview of this diversity in two jars.
The real question: is your honey honey?
This is the thorny subject, and it is very real. Honey is among the most frequently adulterated foodstuffs in the world : dilution with sugar syrup, addition of sweeteners, blends of multiple origins behind a vague label such as "blend of EU and non-EU honeys".
To this are added two legitimate concerns: pesticide residues, which bees bring back from treated crops, and the impact of intensive beekeeping on the colonies themselves, already weakened by habitat loss.
Three buying tips
A precise origin, ideally an identifiable producer - not a generic mention on the label.
A raw, unheated honey : above 40 °C, the enzymes mentioned above are destroyed, and only a sugary syrup remains.
A natural crystallisation, which is not a defect: a honey that stays liquid indefinitely has often been heated or over-filtered.
It is exactly for these reasons that we work with small-scale beekeepers, on raw and traced honeys: it is the only way to know what is in the jar.
Raw honey is not, however, suitable for everyone: it is not recommended for infants under one year old, because of a well-documented risk of infant botulism, and people with diabetes should limit the quantity and ask their doctor for advice. For others, a few teaspoons a day are more than enough to enjoy it, as part of a varied and balanced diet.
FAQ: your most frequent questions about honey
Why does honey never go off?
Its high sugar content and low water content create a high osmolarity that discourages the growth of bacteria. Jars of honey dating back more than 5,000 years have been found still edible during archaeological excavations in Georgia. As long as it is kept in an airtight container away from moisture, honey keeps its qualities indefinitely.
Where does the expression honeymoon come from?
The expression is associated with an ancient tradition in which newly married couples consumed honey daily, sometimes in the form of mead, after their wedding during the first lunar month following the marriage. The term still symbolises a sweet period following the wedding today.
Why use cinnamon sticks or fresh turmeric rather than powder?
Powdered spices lose part of their aromas over time and with exposure to air. Cinnamon stick, ground at the last moment, and fresh turmeric keep more of their scent and flavour.
What is propolis?
Propolis is a substance produced by bees from tree and plant resins that they process in the hive. It is traditionally used in the hive by the bees themselves to protect the colony.
Why was a bee on the first coins?
In the ancient city of Ephesus, coins struck around the 6th century BC bore the image of a bee, a symbol of diligence, prosperity and communal order. The bee was also associated with the goddess Artemis, protector of the city.
Does honey contain enzymes?
Yes, raw honey contains living enzymes such as amylase, which takes part in transforming complex carbohydrates into simple sugars, and diastase, involved in the conversion of starch into sugar. These enzymes are sensitive to heat and are largely destroyed by industrial heat treatments.
What is the difference between raw honey and pasteurised honey?
Pasteurisation consists of heating honey above 40-70 °C to delay its crystallisation and make industrial packaging easier. This treatment destroys the living enzymes and part of the aromas of raw honey, which keeps its enzymes and crystallises naturally over time.
Which variety of honey to choose: acacia, eucalyptus, chestnut or dark honey?
There is no single variety to favour: acacia, very light and mild, suits everyday use, eucalyptus and thyme offer a more pronounced taste to vary the flavours, and darker honeys such as chestnut or dark honey have a more powerful taste. The table above details the characteristics of each variety.
