Is my Honey really pure? What is Raw Honey? Do all types of Honey taste and look the same? Why one variety of Honey is cheap and the other one expensive?
The world is talking about Honey being a superfood. There are a countless number of options available for Honey in the market. Selecting the right Honey for maximum benefits is highly important but also extremely difficult.
So, here's a short guide to selecting Pure Honey and dispelling a few myths related to honey:-
1. Difference between Raw and Processed Honey:
When honey is harvested from beehives, filtered using a muslin cloth for removing impurities and is then packed into a jar - it is categorised as Raw Honey. This is the traditional method of harvesting honey and ensures that maximum nutrients remain intact.
However, most of the famous honey brands in the market Process their honey. The processing includes heating honey collected from different sources to create a homogenized mixture with the same taste, texture and aroma in every batch.
So, what is the problem with processed honey?
Honey loses all its nutritional value when it gets heated. Therefore, processed honey is nothing but sugar syrup with minimal nutritional value.
How to find out if my honey is processed or unprocessed?
One of the easiest ways is to check the back label. If it is manufactured by a particular company, it means that it has been processed at an industrial plant.
Another way is to see the texture, taste and aroma. If your honey always tastes exactly the same and does not crystallize with time, it means that it has been processed or adulterated.
2. Colour, Aroma, Texture & Taste
Honey comes in hundreds of varieties which means each one will have a different colour, aroma, texture and taste. This variation doesn't indicate its purity or superiority over the other. The colour can range from translucent white to dark brown or even black. The aroma of raw honey will also differ for every variety - for example, our Indian Borage Honey has a sweet perfume-like aroma while our Raw Wild Flower Honey is slightly pungent.
All these factors depend on the variety of flowers and bees.
3. Factors deciding the price of Honey
As we discussed that honey can come from many different floral sources and the price also depends on the same.
Some honey varieties are made from the nectar of commonly available flowers of mustard, eucalyptus, litchi etc. These types of honey will be priced at a lower rate because they are harvested in larger quantities. Multiflora honey is also another easily available variety.
More expensive honey varieties are made from uncommon flower's nectar growing at a high altitude. Therefore, Himalayan honey varieties are more expensive. Our Indian Borage honey is harvested once in every 2-3 years, making it extremely premium and rare.
4. Medicinal Benefits & Honey Source
Pure raw honey has tremendous medicinal benefits including expediting weight loss, immunity boosting, preventing cold, cough and allergies etc.
When the honey is made from the nectar of rare medicinal and herbal flowers, its positive impact on a person's health further enhances. For example, Indian Borage Honey is extremely helpful in blood purification and curing breathing-related disorders. Similarly, our wildflower honey is made from the nectar of herbal flowers growing in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.
Honestly, honey is nature's blessing to mankind. The discussion on honey can be endless. However, I really hope that this post will be helpful to you in deciding the honey you need.
Enjoy your honey and life till the last drop!
