The recorded history of humans using honey is 8000 years old. However, our ancestors may have used it even earlier. Indian, Egyptian, Greek, and other civilisations separated by thousands of kilometres, with varying traditions and food habits, used honey.
Fast forward to today, honey is a well-known food globally. Walk into any supermarket, and you may find honey. That’s how common its usage is today.
There exist over 300 types of honey; they may vary in colour and texture, depending on the flower source.
Honey is rich in nutrients and antioxidants and is known to cure several diseases and offer health benefits.
Honey is beneficial only if it is natural honey derived from nature and not colour-laden sugary syrup that is commonly available.
We dug deeper to identify pure honey extracted from natural sources, just like real honey should be.
So, here are 5 natural and pure honey that is available online:
Contents:
1. Under The Mango Tree Honey
A hybrid social enterprise on a mission to educate and empower marginal farmers and enable them to increase their income through honey production.
The brand also promotes usage of an indigenous variety of bees, ‘Apis cerana indica’, for honey production. Under The Mango Tree sells several types of honey, some of them being:
- Honey from the mountainous region
- Honey from the central part of India
- Honey from the northern part of India, and
- Limited edition honey like Moringa honey and tiger reserve honey
The honey shown in the image above is ‘Organic Certified Honey’ and is available in multiple sizes. Extracted from the upper part of Panch Kedar mountain range, this honey comes with the purity of the Himalayas.
Why did we shortlist this honey?
- 100% natural and single origin.
- Honey has passed the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) test.
- Brand is ‘India Organic’ and ‘USOCA’ certified.
With 26+ crore of India’s population engaged directly in agriculture, it is heartening to see brands working to increase our farmers' yield and income.
2. Indigenous Honey
The Indigenous Honey’s founder, Vimal Vadher’s friend, was once diagnosed with a disease, and raw, unfiltered honey played a vital role in his recovery. This incident led to Vimal Vadher researching honey, and what began as a hobby now benefits consumers.
The brand sells honey harvested from their honeybee hives instead of procuring from third-party vendors.
Why did we shortlist this honey?
- Honey has passed the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) test - With each bottle, they send a QR code. Upon scanning, you can check the test report.
- The honey is unpasteurised and unfiltered.
- Brand is ‘India Organic’ and ‘Jaivik Bharat’ certified.
Indigenous Honey runs its business on a small scale to ensure quality. They collect honey from their honeybee hives on the organic farms in the Gir region of Gujarat.
3. 24 Mantra Organic Honey
Founded in 2004, 24 Mantra Organic is one of the oldest and certified organic brand in India. It is also amongst the most widely available organic food brands.
Their natural honey is sourced from the Himalayan region, where the bees collect nectar from flowers of different species, giving the honey a distinct taste. The honey is free from adulteration, thereby retaining its therapeutic properties.
Why did we shortlist this honey?
- Naturally extracted honey.
- Free from antibiotics.
- The brand is certified by ‘Jaivik Bharat’, ‘India Organic’, ‘USDA Organic’, and a few others.
24 Mantra Organic sells a wide range of organic products, from cooking essentials to packaged foods and beverages. They work with over 34,000 farmers spread across 12 states in India.
4. Sri Sri Tattva Honey
Naturally extracted, the honey by Sri Sri Tattva is economical, well rated by over 100 buyers, and hygienically processed.
Like most natural honey, this may also aid in maintaining healthy digestion, helping build up immunity, and may help maintain healthier skin.
Why did we shortlist this honey?
- Contains no added sugar or sugar syrup adulteration - Tested using IRMS and LCMS / MS-SMR method.
5. Kapiva Raw Honey (Madhu)
A fast-emerging brand that’s giving ancient ayurveda a modern touch while retaining its traditional goodness.
The brand name KAPIVA is a wordplay derived from Kapha, Pitta, and Vata - Three types of doshas per ayurveda.
Their raw honey comes from the forests of Himalayan foothills. In addition to containing the goodness of mighty Himalayas, they are unfiltered, thereby retaining the goodness of natural honey.
Why did we shortlist this honey?
- It’s gluten-free honey.
- It is unpasteurised and contains no added sweeteners like sugar or jaggery.
During one of the Mann ki Baat sessions, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji mentioned the excellent work being done by KAPIVA in the field of ayurveda and how they are reviving the ancient healthy lifestyle.
Conclusion:
Honey is a superfood, and why not? It is derived directly from nature and is a storehouse of several vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, copper, zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and manganese.
But.
Honey is beneficial only if it is natural honey.
Be an aware consumer and choose wisely.
