Honey, Greek Gods’ nurture!

Are you familiar with the word melody?

Of course, you are!

‘’Melodia’’ is the sweet song in Greek, deriving from the words ‘’meli’’ (honey) and ‘’ody’’ (sound or song).

Honey is very important for Greeks. We can trace its significance to Antiquity since it is said to be the Gods’ nurture. The bee is deified in mythology and honey is mentioned by Homer in his Odyssey. Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC) was persistently studying the bees’ society concerning hierarchy, structure and function, as he believed it was an example of an ideal human society. Moreover, its positive effects on health were described by Hippocrates (460 BC-377 BC).

In Greece, you can find at least 8 different types of honey (e.g. honey from flowers, thyme, pine tree or fir).

But why is it so essential?

It helps people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (aka heartburn).
A natural way to get energized!
Helps you to sleep better and fight stress, especially if you put it in tea or warmed milk.
It is good for the heart.
It helps with a sore throat, especially when combined with lemon drops in warm beverages.
It saves you when you have a hangover. Try to drink a smoothie with honey, greek yogurt and oranges and you will remember me!
It boosts your immune system.
It never expires, it can only become crystalized but if you warm it for some minutes (in a ‘’Bain Marie’’), it will get liquidized again.

(Wanna learn more about it while trying different honey varieties? Join our Athens Food Tour!)

Beekeeping techniques and honey were first introduced to the Greeks by the Egyptians. In Crete, we can find the primal traces of beekeeping. The iconic jewelry made of gold (where two bees are depicted while flying and holding a honeycomb) and found in Malia (Crete) during the Mycinaic Period is chronologized 3.800 years old!

Honey is a wonderful superfood present to bring back home to your beloved ones. However, if someone is not familiar with good quality honey s/he can get tricked and buy an adulterated product that will look and taste more like syrup. Here are some tips:

Pour honey into a pot with a spoon. If the thin honey line between the spoon and the pot is not interrupted, then it is pure honey.
Pour honey in a glass of water. If the water gets blurry, then the honey is not pure.

You might think now ‘’Okay thanks for the tips, but how on earth would I be able to open a honey jar in a store and then decide if I want it or not? Also, I usually don’t go on vacations with my kitchen equipment.’’
And you'll be right.
But in some stores in Athens, you are able to try the product before purchasing it.
Moreover, you can do a quick research on the internet and find the variety you want, so you can go to the indicated store and ask for it specifically!

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