Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 12
All About Honey
The United States alone has more than three hundred different varieties of honey—more
than any other single country. Honey is produced in every one of our fifty states; North
Dakota, California, Florida, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Texas are the top
producers.Ourvastrangeoffloraandfaunaandourvarietyofclimatesandweathercon-
tribute to the many varietals of honey available in this country.
One can travel to practically any part of the world and find beekeepers keeping bees
and harvesting honeys unique to their region. There are thousands of honey varietals
foundaroundtheworld,eachwithitsowndistinctivecharacteristicsandflavors.Besides
having different flavors and characteristics, honey comes in a wide variety of forms and
styles, such as liquid, creamed, and comb or chunk honey—each a culinary delight of its
own merit.
The United States imports as much honey as it produces domestically. Forty percent
ofU.S.honeyisusedatthetable,andtheother60percentisusedinfoodmanufacturing.
The average American eats approximately 1.3 pounds each year, and this number is
growing. In general, honey is experiencing a renaissance, and Americans are consuming
and appreciating honey more than ever. Restaurants and gourmet food shops have
awoken to the call, and honey is now following the trend of artisanal wine, cheese, cof-
fee, tea, and chocolate. And beekeepers are the stars. Honey is more common than you
think, and it is easy to find unusual types.
It is sustainable, natural, and good for you, and in your own area, you can often find
honey made by local bees and harvested by local beekeepers.
W HAT E XACTLY I S H ONEY?
Most of us can't resist a little something sweet from time to time, and some of us have a
serious sweet tooth. So it's no wonder many of the foods we eat are presweetened with
white sugar, which is now one of the top three ingredients in most packaged foods. Most
of us don't realize how much sugar we're are actually consuming every day because so
much of it is hidden in other foods, and its presence is buried in long ingredient lists.
A twelve-ounce can of a typical soft drink, for example, contains about nine teaspoons
of refined sugar. White sugar is overprocessed and composed of sucrose, a white gran-
ular crystal refined from cane or beet juice by stripping away all its vitamins, minerals,
protein, fiber, and water. It contains very little nutritional value and promotes the growth
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