Are You Really Consuming “Real” Honey? A Guide for Wellness Seekers
Did you know more than 19 Lakh honey bee colonies are registered with the National Bee Board of India? Yes, you read that right! The small yellow flies that we often see flying around are so important to our government. And why won’t it be? Indians love to have honey irrespective of the season! Have a sore throat during the monsoon or always struggling with seasonal allergies? Take a spoonful of raw eucalyptus honey. Want to keep your kids warm when travelling to the mountains in winter? Moms never miss the jar of their favourite himalayan honey to keep their sugarplums cosy! But all these bring out a critical question. Is the honey you consume from the hive or is there something fishy?
Is Your Honey Really “Real”?
Buying the perfect jar of “raw honey” can be really confusing. Labels showcasing “real honey” “natural honey” “100% real honey” “raw honey” etc, make us even more confused. But you do not need to worry about the research, because we have done it for you!
There are primarily two types of honey that we will be focussing on – real or raw honey and regular honey.
What is Regular Honey?
Regular honey jars are overflowing in the markets. The contents of the jar can be easily identified as the honey looks clear and smooth. It undergoes a pasteurisation process that improves the way the honey looks, its shelf life and of course, a significant change in taste.
What is Raw Honey?
Once the idea of regular honey is understood, identifying the Raw Honey seems like a cakewalk. When we say “Raw Honey” it means it is sent to your table directly from the hive. As the beekeepers break the hives to extract the honey, some of the debris comes along and mixes with it. To get rid of this debris, the honey is filtered and hence it looks a bit cloudy.
The texture of the raw honey is also a bit different from that of the regular ones. The taste of the raw honey depends on the flowers they pollinate as no flavours are added. For example, if you taste Niyamaya’s Jamun honey, which is an excellent choice for diabetic patients, you will find how it tastes different from that of Eucalyptus honey or Forest Honey.
Are There Any Benefits of Raw Honey?
Honey has been consumed by humans from time immemorial. And with the recent increase in demand for healthier lifestyles, a variety of honey is being sought by wellness enthusiasts. There are multiple benefits of raw honey, which people have been exploiting for ages.
Regular honey goes through the pasteurisation process, which often removes some essential components which give the honey its much-celebrated properties. Raw honey has:
- A certain amount of bee pollen which is believed to contribute to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Raw honey is a rich source of nutrients which includes niacin, riboflavin, calcium, pantothenic acid etc.
- An amazing solution for people suffering from digestive issues.
- One of the best solutions is to keep sore throat and cough at bay during the changing seasons.
How to Know If Your Honey is Raw or Fake?
Even after reading the labels, people often fall trap to smart marketing techniques and end up buying a fake honey bottle. To save yourself from such traps here are a few ways that you can try to find if your honey is raw or fake.
- The Water Test
This test is based on honey’s high density and low water content.
Method: Take a small teaspoon of honey and put a drop of it in a glass of fresh water.
Expected Results: A drop of raw honey often settles at the bottom of the glass due to its texture and high density. However a fake honey will start dissolving in it.
Scientific basis: Due to higher sugar content and low moisture, raw honey has a higher density than water.
- Crystallisation Test
This test is based on the crystallisation property of honey.
Method: For this test all you need to do is to store it in room temperature for a few days.
Expected Results: A jar of raw honey often tends to crystallise over time unlike a fake one that remains smooth indefinitely.
Scientific basis: The glucose present in natural honey tends to separate from the water over time which ultimately forms the crystals.
- The Heat and Flame Test
This test is based on the low moisture content of raw honey.
Method: Take an unlit matchstick and dip it in a small quantity of honey. Try striking the match stick like you must do to light it up.
Expected Results: If the match lights up, burning off the honey, then you made the right choice. A match stick dipped in fake honey often fails to light up due to the presence of excess moisture in the product.
Scientific basis: Pure honey has a low moisture content (typically less than 20%), allowing it to ignite easily.
All these tests are an indication that you might be making the right choice of purity. However, it is important to note that none of these tests are full proof. Factors like the type of flowers the bees visited, the honey’s age, and storage conditions can affect results, sometimes yielding “false negatives.” Thus for absolute certainty, laboratory testing is the most reliable method.
Pure honey is a natural product with numerous health benefits. By using these simple tests, you can make more informed choices about the honey you consume.
Where Should I Find Raw Honey Near Me?
This was a real problem for wellness seekers a few years back. Even after knowing “Raw Honey”, finding it nearby was a real issue. But not anymore! We at Niyamaya are conscious about the planet and your health too and offer the purest form of honey straight from the beehive to your table. Whether you are diabetic looking for Jamun Honey or someone looking for a “de-stressing honey”, Niyamaya has it all. With sustainability as our primary focus, Niyamaya believes in a Zero violence method that ensures the well-being of bees, their brood, and the environment they call home. With fair compensation to beekeepers and honey harvesters, Niyamaya promotes regenerative beekeeping practices that give back to nature.
So the next time you are looking for the “best raw honey near me” you know where to find it!
Choose health, choose Niyamaya.
