Honey is one of the mysterious foods that have tickled the imagination of tech savvy people in this age. It is difficult for them to fathom how hordes of nondescript insects can produce such an amazing product. This wonder food is fascinating for more reasons than one, and scientists are trying to find out more uses of honey than those known so far.

We are certainly not the first civilization to recognize honey as a truly marvelous food with many redeeming qualities. The Romans actually used honey to pay their taxes instead of gold. While this did not happen during the entire 1,000 year reign of the Roman Empire, it nonetheless remains true that honey was used to pay taxes.

However, human civilization and honey existed much before the Roman Empire. Archeologists have found paintings dating back over 9,000 years in caves that have honey depicted in them. Human beings cherished honey since it was the only means of sweetening the food until refined sugar and molasses were discovered.

The flowers, which the bees select to get the nectar from, are decisive in determining the taste and color of honey. Thus, you can easily get honey in different varieties having different taste and color. It is amazing to know that there are over 300 different types of honey available in the market.

The chemical composition of honey is nothing but that of a naturally refined sugar. But there is a slight difference. It has 38 percent fructose, 31 percent glucose, 1 percent sucrose, and 9 percent other sugars. It also has essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, water and small amounts of amino acids. These nutrients namely, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids make honey particularly interesting for the scientists trying to find its medicinal benefits.

You would be surprised to know that the honey found beside the mummies had not spoilt and was absolutely safe to eat. The reason this honey did not spoil is because honey is known to have a bioactive agent in it that inhibits the action of germs and bacteria on it. This also makes honey a very good topical treatment in case of burns and other wounds. It can prevent the wound or burn from becoming infected. However a thing to be remembered here is that the bioactive agent of honey breaks down in heat and light. So honey should always be preserved in a cool, dark place if you wish to retain its ability to repel bacteria.

The most common form of honey is liquid honey though honey is available in different varieties as well. The process of collecting honey involves removing it from the comb using a centrifuge, straining, or just simple gravity. You may want to filter it to remove all the impurities and air bubbles. If you strain it, chances are that the smaller particles and air bubbles will remain.

Honey remains the only naturally refined sugar available and it has been part of human history since before recorded time. Able to repel bacteria and still be edible after centuries of being buried with mummies, honey truly is a remarkable food. The benefits and secrets of honey are still being revealed by scientists today and there may still be some medical miracles waiting to be discovered in honey that could really benefit all of humanity. Even if not, honey is still one of the sweetest substances on earth that is just a treat to eat.