The Honey

Honey has been used in medicine for over 5,000 years. Its usage and benefits are multiple; from skin care to your daily diet, honey has tremendous virtues on our body!

‍“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”​ Hippocrates

Is wild honey different from beekeeping honey?
While beekeeping harvest honey is coming from domestic bees in prebuilt hives, wild honey comes from wild bees that build their own hives in trees deep in the forests. Harvesting wild honey means finding the hives in the forests, climbing at the top of the trees to reach the hives and only take the only part of the hives that contain honey. Our community partners are trained with sustainable harvesting protocols, which means ensuring not to destroy the hives and leaving enough food for the bees themselves.

‍Alternatives to sugar
‍Slightly lower in calories and with a lower glycemic index than refined sugar, honey raises blood sugar levels less than sugar. Composed mainly of water (≈20%) and carbohydrates (​≈​38% fructose + ​≈​32% glucose + ​≈​ 5% saccharose). Its high​ ​proportion​ ​of​ ​fructose​ ​gives​ i​t​ a​ ​​higher​ ​sweetening​ ​power​ ​than​ ​sugar​, ​which​ ​contains​ ​only​ ​saccharose​ and a much better taste. ​It contains B vitamins as well as minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium).

‍A powerful antioxidant
‍The richness of honey comes from its content of bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants. Some specialists are saying darker types tend to be even higher in these compounds than lighter types. Antioxidants are playing a role to reduce risk of heart attacks, strokes and some types of cancer. They also promote eye health. Of course that only applies to real honey. Be aware of honey you can find in the supermarkets, some are cut with syrup.

Best ally to your skin
Topical honey treatment has been used to heal wounds and burns since ancient Egypt. Researchers believe that honey’s healing powers come from its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects as well as its ability to nourish surrounding tissue. We also highly recommend adding it in a lip balm or in a body scrub.

Not perishable product
‍Honey cannot perish because it contains inhibitors of bacterial growth. As a result, it is the only food that can be kept indefinitely and never expires. Over time, the original flavors of honey evolve, and it also loses some of its nutritional qualities, but remains edible! For the best use, honey should be stored tightly closed, away from moisture and light - especially in tropical countries like Cambodia!

Crystallization
Honey crystallizing isn't a sign of poor quality, on the contrary, it is a natural process.
Honey is mainly made of fructose, glucose, water, mineral salts and pollen. Depending on their amount, honey will begin its crystallization process over a period of a few days to a few years! The higher the fructose content, the longer the honey will remain liquid.