Honey

Honey, golden and sweet, has always been held in high regard. The Bible refers to heaven as the "Land of Milk and Honey." In ancient times, honey was considered the food of the gods and the symbol of wealth and happiness. It was used as a form of sustenance and offered in sacrifice.In the Middle Ages, honey was the basis for the production of mead, an alcoholic beverage. Because of its antiseptic qualities, physicians found it a perfect covering for wounds before the advent of bandages.

Even Napoleon was enchanted by it, choosing the honeybee for his personal crest.

Beekeeping is one of oldest forms of animal husbandry. Early beekeepers encouraged the establishment of bee colonies in cylinders of bark, reed, straw, and mud. However, when the honeycomb was removed from the cylinders, the colony was destroyed.

Honeybees were brought to North America in the mid-1600s. Although there were bees on the continent, they were not honeybees. Early settlers took note of the bees' penchant for hollow logs. They developed a "bee gum," by placing sticks crosswise over the opening of the logs to support the honeycombs. This not only allowed for the comb to be removed from one end, but also kept the comb intact so that the colony could use it again.

Honey is a natural sweetener produced by bees and extracted through plant‘s nectar. The major components of honey include carbohydrates, water, nitrogenous substances, and minerals. Honey is considered to be a potential replacement for table sugar. The market for honey is anticipated to increase during the forecast period based on increasing health consciousness among the consumers and rising demand for an alternative to table sugar.