Used for thousands of years, honey is a well-known and appreciated raw material and constitutes a very profitable economic sector. Indeed, beekeeping is an important agricultural sector in Canada with an annual economic contribution of approximately $2.57 billion. Although we have nothing to envy others, we are not the biggest producers in this area, because excessive bee mortality prevents us from doing so. This is why countries like China, New Zealand and Argentina – where bees thrive – are seeing their numbers increase at breakneck speed thanks to honey exports. But why so much interest in honey?

Honey in cooking

There is a range of different honeys, ranging from the sweetest like acacia honey, to the strongest like forest honey. All having a different characteristic, we can use them in several ways in our recipes or simply raw in our yogurt or on toast. In addition to its many possible uses, honey has a greater sweetening power than sugar while being lower in calories, an advantage for many gourmands. 

In baking, honey brings a softer taste to different recipes since it retains moisture better in cakes, muffins, brioches, and other sweets. This is why replacing sugar partially or entirely with honey can become a good option. For ice cream lovers, it is also possible to make your own. Honey helps slow down the crystallization of the ice cream and makes the cream creamier. For sweet recipes, sweet honeys or polyfloral honeys, they come from a varied mixture of flowers, are the most recommended. For example, acacia honey, summer honey, or prairie honey are good choices. 

Since honey is a natural product coming directly from bees, the process becomes much less problematic for the environment. On the contrary, sugar cultivation could be considered one of the worst for the environment. Indeed, its enormous need for water and pesticides cause soil erosion, which harms the surrounding fauna and flora. These environmental impacts can also influence global warming, a major problem now. It is for this reason that honey becomes an interesting and more eco-responsible alternative since it is an equivalent to white sugar. 

A sugar good for health

Obviously, the primary use of honey is in cooking, but many forget that it also provides numerous health benefits. As a result, this bee product has prebiotic activity, that is to say it improves the condition of certain bacteria essential to the health of our intestinal microflora. In addition, honey, like fruits and vegetables, contains a certain amount of antioxidants, chemical substances that protect our body. Moreover, those present in honey help prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers and certain neurodegenerative diseases. For a honey with a greater quantity of oxidants, you should take a darker honey, such as those from sunflower or buckwheat. 

Finally, this product also has antibacterial power. It is its low pH and its limitation in dissolving oxygen which give it this power. Indeed, the use of honey can be used to reduce throat inflammation or a gastric ulcer. In short, with all these health benefits, it is essential to adhere to them.

Industrial application

Several beauty products also use honey for its many benefits. This is also why we often find this ingredient in shampoos, makeup removers or soaps. The natural enzymes and hydrogen peroxide present in honey serves as a detoxifier, which means it deeply cleanses the skin as well as the hair. Besides this, honey helps reduce sebum production and tighten pores, which helps reduce acne. In addition, its numerous nutrients help vitalize the skin or hair. Indeed, a touch of honey can restore the shine of the hair or even the complexion. 

Some moisturizing creams as well as some sunscreens contain honey since its richness in potassium and vitamin B gives it significant nourishing power. The sugars that make it up also help keep water in the epidermis (like moisture in cakes) to prevent the skin from becoming dehydrated. Furthermore, honey has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, it can soothe apparent itching or redness on the skin. It can even help heal wounds thanks to its ability to regenerate cells. 

Whether you are a fan of honey or not, it is undeniable that it has as many applications in cooking as in health. In addition, beekeeping remains a necessary activity for the protection of our bees, which as we know, allow the reproduction of many plants thanks to their pollination. By helping with the honey trade, we are also helping all those who work in the field of beekeeping and who enable the survival of our bees.