Have you ever wondered why honeydew honey is more desirable and at the same time much more expensive than nectar honey? In today's entry, I will share with you why honeydew honey is healthier than nectar honey. Is this really the case?
Natural honey is made from two raw materials: nectar or honeydew (or mixed nectar and honeydew). Plants attract bees by secreting sweet nectar, which they then bring to the hive. This is how nectar honeys are made, e.g. from rapeseed, linden, buckwheat, etc. They are the most common and most frequently produced. However, honeydew honey is less common and is more difficult to obtain .
Because it takes two to tango - aphids and bees.
In order for honeydew to be produced, aphids (called honeydew mites) must appear. These small parasites puncture the soft parts of trees with their mouthparts and drink the sap . Then they secrete waste (feces) that falls en masse on the leaves. The falling sweet liquid tempts the bees, which take it to the hive and this is how honeydew honey is created. Unfortunately, honeydew often occurs only once every few years . For it to appear, special weather conditions must occur. Honeydew appears only in hot and dry summers . A small amount of rain causes the honeydew to disappear completely. This significantly affects the popularity and price of honeydew honey.
It is due to the parasites described above that honeydew honeys are a source of valuable, biologically active nutrients that are not found in nectar honeys. Honeydew occurs only on coniferous and deciduous trees. Thus, we distinguish honey from coniferous and deciduous honeydew. The honeydew species is crucial in influencing our health and its nutritional value.
Honeydew honey - champagne among honeys.
Honeydew honey is usually golden yellow or deep brown in color. The smell of honey from this variety is rather faint, slightly spicy or nutty. The taste is very mild and not very sweet . This is our honey made from coniferous honeydew from Roztocze . Its color is golden yellow with the consistency of "crunchy fudge". The taste is subdued and resinous.
Honeydew honey, on the other hand, has a color ranging from green-tea to light brown. They owe their greenish color to algae. They have a mild taste (just like coniferous honeydew) with a slight resin aftertaste. These honeys are very thick and sticky. They have a strong diuretic, anti-inflammatory and disinfecting effect . It is true that their antibiotic activity is lower than honeydew honey, but their role in supporting the liver, bile ducts and intestines cannot be taken away from them.
Is honeydew honey healthier?
Honeydew honey, compared to nectar honey, is richer in:
- antibiotic substances
- organic acids
- mineral compounds
- nitrogenous compounds
- dextrins
Moreover, they contain up to 4 to 9 times more bioelements than in nectar honey . This undoubtedly makes them unique in their category. In particular , honeydew honey with a predominance of fir contains easily digestible compounds:
- sleaza
- zinc
- copper
- boron
- potassium
- calcium
- phosphorus
- chlorine
- sulfur
- magnesium
- cobalt
Moreover, honeydew honey is the only one of all domestic varieties containing silver, tin, molybdenum and vanadium .
While bee enzymes play a key role in honey production, in the case of noble varieties of honeydew honey, aphids play an important role. It is because of their spawn that honeydew is so valuable. Honeydew contains almost twice the content of proteins, amino acids and enzymes . This undoubtedly puts honeydew honey in first place compared to nectar honeys.
Moreover, only honeydew honey, especially coniferous honey , contains essential oils, tannins and characteristic resin . The tannins contained in fir honeydew have expectorant and antibacterial properties . That is why it is commonly said that honey of this particular variety is valuable in combating diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract.
Nectar or honeydew honey? Which one to choose?
As a rule, all honey made naturally, i.e. without added sugar or glucose syrup, is healthy. Each specific variety has its own impact on our health . Therefore, you should choose both nectar honeys that are more affordable and honeydew honeys that will satisfy the most demanding consumer.
