This is a part of Sprig & Vine Favourites, a column of recommendations from our team on their favourite things to eat, drink, read, watch, and shop.
Before you make a beeline for a honey jar the next time you’re at the grocery store, here’s what you need to know: not all honey is made equal.
For a product that’s ubiquitous to every pantry, there’s so little we know about honey or how to choose a good one. Words like ‘pure’ and ‘raw’ get thrown around often, and we don’t give it much thought before plonking a jar into our cart.
Typically, a lot of the commonly available honey is actually not pure – they are mass-produced, and contain additives and sugar. They’re also pasteurised, which means that the honey has gone through a couple of processes before being bottled up, and has lost some of its nutritional value. If you’re using honey purely as sugar then go ahead and buy any brand, but if you’re looking for good quality, good taste, and numerous nutritional benefits, then read on.
Good quality real honey is
- raw unpasteurized honey, which means it’s gone through the least amount of filtering and is as close to it’s natural state as possible – straight from the beehive
- made in small batches
- likely to crystallize, which only changes the texture that can easily be reversed by dipping the jar in warm water
This kind of honey has a host of benefits: it can soothe a raw throat, is a good source of antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, and is also hydrating for the skin.
Our favourite is from No. 3 Clive Road, which has a gorgeous wildflower honey, sourced directly in small-batches from the Doon valley in the Himalayan foothills. This honey is raw and unpasteurized, and has a beautiful amber colour. It has the rich lightly perfumed taste of multifloral honey, and is a wonderful addition to your kitchen: add a dab to your lemon water and pot of tea (or a kadha when you feel a sore throat coming on), drizzle it over a bowl of yogurt or stack of pancakes, brush it over an apple tart, whisk it into salad dressings — the options are limitless!
Good for your health, good for you.
SHOP IT HERE: Wildflower Honey, No. 3 Clive Road
