Our advice for choosing your honey
From its origin to its medicinal virtues, discover the criteria to take into account when choosing your honey .
A true jewel of nature, honey shines as much by its golden color as by its taste and its many virtues for health. Produced by the foraging of nectar from flowers called melliferous by bees and the long and rigorous work that follows in the heart of the hives , honey is a noble product that has made a place of choice in our kitchens and on our tables. But to get all the taste and therapeutic benefits of the nectar of the Gods , you still need to know what makes a quality honey. Here are 5 tips for choosing your honey .
1. The origin of the honey
Many honeys from mass distribution have undergone modifications aimed at maximizing their yield, to the detriment of the taste and overall quality of the product: addition of syrups, water or additives, blending of honeys from several varieties of flowers from different countries of the European Union or Asia, etc. However, honey is sufficient in itself and must not have undergone any transformation between its production by the bees and its tasting. So be on the lookout for labels that clearly mention the origin of the honey (France, Provence, Occitanie, Corsica, etc.) and that bear a label (AOC, AOP, IGP, organic) or the words “Harvested and potted by the beekeeper” .
2. Monofloral honeys
Honey has a major advantage: it offers the virtues of the variety of flower from which it was made. However, when a jar of honey contains multiple varieties of flowers, none of them can truly reveal all of its benefits. In addition, depending on its floral origin, each honey offers a unique texture, color and taste that deserves to be enjoyed as is without being diluted in dozens of other honeys.
If you are going to taste several honeys, it is therefore advisable to opt for so-called monofloral honeys, i.e. honeys made from at least 80% of a single variety of flower . While some plants make it easy to produce monofloral honey in large quantities, other honeys made from rare plants require thousands of trips and thousands of hours of work from the bees to produce the equivalent of a jar.
3. Crystallization of honey
The crystallization of honey is a natural phenomenon that occurs more or less late depending on the ratio between two sugars present in the product: glucose and fructose . The richer it is in glucose, the faster it crystallizes, this is particularly the case for rapeseed honey, and vice versa if it contains mainly fructose, such as acacia honey. When this phenomenon occurs, simply bathe the honey for a few minutes in a bain-marie, stirring continuously, so that it regains its original liquid texture without losing any of its virtues.
As you will have understood, sooner or later, honey ends up crystallizing - at least if it is pure! Indeed, a honey that never hardens has probably undergone the addition of additives before being marketed.
4. The color of honey
Each nectar has its own unique golden hue. Some have a blond hue like wheat, such as acacia honey , lime honey or lemon honey, others have a deep amber color , such as raspberry, fir or heather honey, while bupleurum, forest or chestnut honeys are an unmistakable dark brown .
While each honey, like a wine, has its own taste palette , you don't need to be an expert to find the honey that will suit your taste buds. Keep in mind that the darker the honey, the more pronounced its taste will be . A light-colored honey will likely have subtle, fruity aromas, while a very dark honey will reveal woody and slightly bitter notes.
5. Choose honey according to its virtues
As explained above in this article, honey is a real concentrate of medicinal benefits . Depending on the plants that go into its composition, each honey contains different therapeutic powers . Among the many types of honey that exist:
- Chestnut honey is recommended for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases
- Lavender honey is known for its antiseptic and healing action.
- Thyme honey is ideal for relieving flu, coughs, asthma, etc.
- Fir honey helps fight respiratory infections and kidney problems
- and more.
The virtues of honey can therefore be taken into consideration when choosing it. Find out about the plants indicated in relieving the symptoms you suffer from (digestion, sleep, blood circulation, headaches, etc.) and opt for a honey made from this plant, if it is melliferous!
