Glossary of Honey 🐝
Raw Vs Processed Honey
Raw honey is the pure, unprocessed honey collected directly from the beehive. It undergoes minimal filtration, retaining all the natural goodness gifted by the bees and flowers. It has rich nutritional profile, enzymes, unique flavors and aromatic notes, reflecting the diverse flora bees have foraged upon.
Processed honey undergoes extensive filtration and pasteurization, altering its natural composition and robbing it of some beneficial properties. The heating process involved in pasteurization kills beneficial enzymes and reduces the honey's nutritional value. Some processed honey may have additives like artificial sweeteners or preservatives.
Raw honey shines as the superior choice due to its nutritional potency, live enzymes symbolizing bees' hard work, and an authentic and wholesome flavor. By choosing raw honey, you embrace a connection to the bees, their hives, and the beautiful flowers that paint the landscape.
Filtered Vs Unfiltered Honey
Filtered Honey undergoes a fine single/double straining process with muslin to achieve a smooth and clear appearance, making it easy to pour and spread. This process removes certain particles, impurities, sediments, wax, pollen and propolis, resulting in a product that is less likely to have residues or floating particles.
Unfiltered Honey, on the other hand, is not subject to fine straining and contains traces of bee pollen, beeswax and propolis, giving it a slighly cloudly appearance.
Both types of honey can be enjoyed and appreciated for their unique qualities.
Monofloral Vs Multifloral Honey
Monofloral Honey is made by bees foraging on the nectar of a specific flower species spread over acres of land, resulting in a distinct and characteristic flavor profile. Its flavour is naturally influenced by the dominant floral source, offering a specific taste and aroma.
Multifloral Honey is made by bees feeding on nectar of various flowers in their foraging range, creating a symphony of flavors and fragrances. The diverse nectar sources contribute to a rich and nuanced taste, unique to each batch of multifloral honey.
Whether you like to savor the specific floral essence and subtleties offered by monofloral honey or enjoy the harmonious blend of flavors of multifloral honey, choose the one that resonates with your taste preferences.
Pure Vs Natural Honey
Pure honey is extracted directly from the beehives and remains unaltered, free from any additives, sweeteners, colors, or preservatives. While it may include nectar sourced from flowers, it may also come from alternative nectar sources, such as sugar syrup or other natural sources.
Natural honey, on the other hand, specifically refers to honey that bees produce by foraging out in the natural environment, collecting nectar from various flowers. The defining characteristic of natural honey is that it comes solely from the nectar of flowers, without any artificial additives or human intervention, such as sugar syrup feeding.
Natural Honey exemplifies the harmonious relationship between bees and their environment, showcasing the authentic taste of the flowers the bees have visited.
Honey Extracted from Super chamber Vs from Brood chamber
Based on the design, a bee box can have one, two, or three chambers. The topmost chamber is called the Super Chamber, and the bottommost is called the Brood Chamber. The brood chamber serves as the hive's primary living area, where the queen lays eggs, and the young bees develop. In the super chamber, bees store the excess honey produced, which is primarily meant to feed the colony during periods of scarcity or winter. Bees fan and dry the nectar in the super chamber, reducing its moisture content to prevent mold formation, and then seal it with their own wax secretion.
The honey kept by bees in the brood chamber is primarily intended to feed the larvae, and it has high moisture/water content, remaining uncapped. Often, when beekeepers extract honey from the brood chamber, several larvae and eggs get killed, and along with them, the waste matter of bees gets mixed with the honey. Since the honey is uncapped and has high moisture content, it needs filtration and pasteurization before it is rendered consumption-ready.
Single-origin Vs Blended Honey
Single-origin honey comes from the nectar of flowers from a specific geographic location, celebrating the essence of a particular region. Each batch carries the distinct characteristics of the flowers the bees visited, creating an extraordinary honey experience.
Blended honey, on the other hand, is crafted by combining various honey sources.
In essence, single-origin honey offers a pure and exclusive experience, celebrating the identity of a specific region and its floral richness.
Naturally flavored Vs Infused Honey
Naturally flavored honey derives its exquisite taste solely from the diverse floral sources visited by bees during their nectar-gathering expeditions. Each jar boasts distinct floral notes, allowing you to savor the richness of various flower varieties that bloom in the honey's place of origin.
Infused honey, on the other hand, is made by artfully infusing ingredients like herbs, spices, fruits, or botanicals into the pure honey base.
Adulterated vs Unadulterated Honey
Unadulterated honey is how bees and nature intend the honey to be, free from any artificial additives, sweeteners, colors, or preservatives, untainted by human interference, and rich in authentic flavor. Unadulterated honey retains its natural enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, delivering genuine nourishment for your well-being.
Adulterated honey is tainted with artificial additives and impurities to mimic the appearance of pure honey. It is often mixed with corn syrup, sugarcane syrup, or other cheap sweeteners to dilute its quality. Consuming adulterated honey may lead to health concerns.
Make an informed choice by recognizing the genuine purity of unadulterated honey and safeguarding your honey experience from deceptive imitations.
