What Types of Honey Are There?
Honey is a sweet, viscous substance produced by bees from plant nectar, as well as from honeydew (a sweet liquid secreted by plant cells) or honeydew (a sweet liquid secreted by aphids). This "sweet medicine" contains many substances essential to humans: fructose, sucrose, enzymes, minerals, organic acids, and vitamins.
By origin, honey comes in the following types: flower, honeydew, and mixed. Let's discuss each in more detail.
Flower honey. Honey collected from a single plant species is called monofloral. It is named after the plant that produces the honey, such as linden, hawthorn, buckwheat, or chestnut. A product collected from various plant species is called polyfloral honey. It is also called mixed or flower honey and is named after the region where it was collected, such as field, meadow, taiga, or mountain honey. This is a common and very affordable type of polyfloral honey, most often collected in steppe and forest-steppe regions. It is distinguished by the pleasant aroma of wild herbs.
Meadow honey. It is obtained from plants of lowland and alpine meadows. It is more prized than the previous type, as it is more difficult to collect.
Taiga honey. An elite type of honey with amazing qualities and aroma. It comes from apiaries in the taiga zone. Many of the honey plants used for this delicacy grow only in this region.
Mountain honey. Apiaries in high-altitude regions require a lot of labor, so this honey is more expensive than others. Its value also lies in its unique composition. Mountain honey is considered the most environmentally friendly.
Honeydew honey. Regular honey is produced by bees collecting nectar from various honey plants. However, situations can arise where the bees cannot find a single suitable plant to collect its nectar. In this case, they seek other sources of raw materials. Honeydew honey can be made from plant buds and leaves, as well as the natural sweet secretions of insects that live on these plants.
According to its source, honeydew honey is divided into two types:
1. Honeydew of animal origin. Aphids, feeding on the sap of various plants, secrete a unique "byproduct" with a high sugar content. In the hottest weather, as noted above, bees begin to collect this sweetish coating from leaves. Mixed collections, where the honeydew contains a small amount of pollen, are most common.
2. Honeydew of plant origin. It contains carbohydrate secretions from certain tree species. This secretion is especially active in hot weather, allowing bees to continue their work while waiting out these unfavorable conditions.
Honeydew honey is not suitable for bee feeding—it is beneficial only to humans. Therefore, beekeepers do not leave it in their hives, as it can poison the bees.
Honeydew honey contains a small amount of carbohydrates and sugar, making it less harmful than other types of honey. It also contains amino acids and proteins, which can improve metabolism and help remove toxins, poisons, and excess cholesterol from the body.
Mixed honey. The name of this honey speaks for itself. It can be a blend of different types of honey from different honey plants, and honeydew honey can also be added.