Difference Between Raw Honey and Regular Honey

There is an entire alphabet of honey from acacia to wildflower, but beyond the difference in floral varieties, there are other types too. We’re taking a deeper look at the difference between raw honey and regular honey. But first, a little bit about honey in general.

Honey, or apiculture (the technical term for beekeeping), is big business these days due to the variety of health benefits found in bee pollen and in the sweet golden nectar of honey itself. Used as a natural sweetener in lieu of processed sugar and artificial sweeteners, honey is highly approved, dubbed as a natural elixir and “nectar of the gods” by beauty experts with celebrity endorsements from the likes of Kourtney Kardashian and Megan Markle who swear by the sweet stuff’s restorative powers.

Historically, honey has been used for centuries, not just as food. Dating back thousands of years to ancient Egypt and ancient China, honey has been used in traditional forms of medicine, aiding in everything from digestive issues and sleep deprivation to allergies and anti-aging. Even today, China remains the largest consumer of honey products due to its natural uses of antibacterial and antiseptic properties found in its syrupy wake.

Related Reading: 11 Delicious Reasons to Always Have Honey on Hand

While there are literally hundreds of types of honey to choose from, not all honey is created equal. Knowing the basic difference between regular honey and raw honey is equally important. Here’s a look at the major differences between those two.

Regular Honey

Simply put, regular honey is any honey that has been pasteurized or filtered. During the pasteurization process, similar to the pasteurization of milk, cheese, or butter, honey is heated at high temperatures to kill any yeast that may be present in order to prevent fermentation. It’s pretty easy to tell regular honey from raw honey because of its translucent color and syrupy consistency. According to the website Benefits Of Honey, “a lot of honey found in the supermarket is not raw honey but ‘commercial’ regular honey […] which has been pasteurized (heated at 70 degrees Celsius or more, followed by rapid cooling) for easy filtering and bottling so that it looks cleaner and smoother, more appealing on the shelf, and easier to handle and package.”

Raw Honey

Raw honey, on the other hand, is any honey that hasn’t been heated or filtered. Think of it as hive to shelf. While there’s no official FDA definition for raw honey, according to the National Honey Board, raw honey is defined as “honey as it exists in the beehive or as obtained by extraction, settling or straining without adding heat.” While raw honey is better in terms of preserving the vitamins and natural enzymes that you won’t find in processed, regular honey, the characteristics and consistency can vary greatly. Your best bet, if you don’t want to buy just based on a label, is to get it straight from farmer’s market/beekeeper as it really doesn’t get much fresher than that. You can purchase Raw Pahrump Honey RIGHT HERE

Chowhound ByMichelle Gross  August 17, 2019