Where Honey Comes From
Harvesting honey is an ancient artisanal craft that is both an art and science. The honey bees gather nectar from flowering plants, and beekeepers collect honey from the beehives. The journey from harvesting to distributing honey is multifaceted. “The bees simply collect nectar, add a few enzymes and store it in the honeycomb. But all of the color, the flavor, the aroma, the antioxidants, whatever constituents are in the honey comes from the particular flower from which the nectar was collected,” said 40-year veteran beekeeper Gene Brandi.
There are more than 300 varietals of honey, ranging greatly in flavor and appearance. After the honey is removed from the beehive and extracted by a beekeeper, it is shipped off to a honey packer, who warms the honey and removes any foreign material or residue from the beehive, often including whatever pollens may have been introduced during the extraction process.
Honey is a natural product that contains just one ingredient: honey. The benefits of honey make it easily accessible for consumers to use in their daily lives. Honey is a whole food that has other uses outside of the culinary realm. As a carbohydrate, honey is a natural energy booster.