What Is Honey?
Honey is a sweet liquid with exceptionally high energy that everyone is familiar with. Insects, particularly honeybees, feed on plant nectar and transform it into honey through a biological process. Honey can be stored for many years without spoiling, which makes it easy to trade and preserve.
This sweet substance boasts numerous benefits; it is rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It also serves as a natural tonic for individuals with weak constitutions or those recovering from illness. All these qualities make honey an essential item in every shopping basket.
Types of Honey
Explaining the types of honey and their classifications requires a separate comprehensive article. However, in brief, honey can be categorized based on the type of flower nectar and vegetation, geographical region, honey color, production time, extraction method, and whether it is natural or counterfeit. In this article, we will highlight two of the most well-known types of honey.
Among the various types, natural honey is the best. It is produced from the natural feeding of honeybees. Sometimes, producers mix honey with sugar, glucose, or water to reduce costs, resulting in a product that lacks the properties of natural honey. Another method of producing counterfeit honey involves artificially feeding the bees.
Depending on the plants the bees feed on, different types of honey are produced. Examples include gavan (Astragalus) honey, tragacanth honey, acacia honey, thyme honey, and multi-plant honey, each with its own unique properties.
For instance, thyme honey is highly effective in treating coughs and sore throats. It also helps reduce menstrual pain and eliminate infections. Acacia honey, on the other hand, is known for its calming effects and relief of eye discomfort. Gavan honey is used to treat anemia and alleviate kidney and urinary tract pain.
Buying Honey
Most people seek to buy natural honey, and one of their main concerns during purchase is finding high-quality natural honey. There are many factors to consider when buying honey that you should be aware of and follow. The most important step is to gather up-to-date information.
For example, it was once believed that buying honey with wax was a sign of its authenticity. Today, this is no longer true. Counterfeit honey is also sold in this form, and experts warn against purchasing honey with wax due to the presence of toxins and pesticides absorbed by the wax.
The best approach is to buy honey from beekeepers or reputable brands. Even when purchasing from well-known brands, always check their track record. This becomes especially important if you’re buying in bulk or for specific purposes. In such cases, it’s recommended to review the honey’s lab test results or request testing yourself.
Before buying, depending on your needs, try to research the types of honey and their effects. As mentioned, honey doesn’t spoil easily, but it’s still better to pay attention to the production date and opt for fresher honey.
Honey Prices
One of the factors determining the quality and authenticity of honey is its price. Extremely high or low prices can indicate an issue. Since beekeeping is a challenging and complex process, very low prices or excessive discounts often seen in hypermarkets don’t seem normal and likely indicate the sale of counterfeit honey instead of natural honey.
On the other hand, sellers shouldn’t inflate prices under the guise of authenticity and natural quality. Therefore, it’s essential to research honey prices before making a purchase.
Selling Honey
The best way to assist buyers in purchasing natural honey and help trusted beekeepers increase their sales is to establish a connection between reliable beekeepers and buyers. To achieve this, producers should adopt modern honey-selling methods, particularly online sales. Utilizing a strong consulting and support team to guide and advise buyers is key.
Additionally, paying attention to the aesthetics and packaging of the product is an advantage that can set them apart from other sellers.