Only Raw Unprocessed Honey Has All The Nutrients

You will most probably know the health benefits of raw unprocessed honey, or simply pure honey. That is why all these years
I have been avoiding writing on this topic. Being a writer and a firm believer of the health benefits of pure honey, it is indeed
a torture not to write about it. But to write only about the health benefits of pure honey will most probably bore you down
within one minute. So I have taken a fresh approach, same as I did for my many other articles on those very common topics.
I shall tell my personal story of my interesting encounter with pure honey, and the particular type of honey I am consuming,
which is the tualang honey.

Cheap processed honey

Raw unprocessed tualang honey

How To Determine Whether Honey Is Pure

Only pure honey can claim to possess all the nutrients of honey. We need to understand clearly the term pure honey. To
me, pure honey means raw unprocessed honey. Simply stated, pure honey is extracted straight from the honeycomb,
sieved and bottled immediately. That is why it is called raw unprocessed honey. There is no other stage involved, such as
heating, pasteurizing and adding of additives.
To be honest, as ordinary consumers it is not possible to be absolutely certain that the honey one is consuming is 100%
pure, unless one can scrutinize each batch personally at the source every time. During the processing stages there is still a
chance of mishandling or contamination, thus compromising the purity of the honey. Even the established and trusted brand
of Manuka honey from New Zealand has recently been tested to contain certain harmful chemicals!

So what is the best bet to ensure one gets real pure honey? There is unfortunately none, unless one harvests the honey
personally. Since we are not bee keepers and honey harvesters, we can adopt the second best method. For me this is my
second best method to secure reliable pure honey. I get my pure honey from my trusted friend who knows the reliable
source supplier. In the end, it is still based on trust.
Some may suggest to have the honey analyzed by professional testing laboratories. But are we going to spend money and
time doing this every time? My friend did that initially, but the test results were not always the same, although the honey
came from the same source. The reasons are many. The most common one was the honey was contaminated during
handling, effectively compromised on its purity.
Having said that, there are certain guideline-tests to ascertain acceptable level of honey purity. This you can find them in the
internet. Below are 4 such tests plus an additional fifth test taught to me by a "honey-expert" friend.
1.

Texture test. Pure honey is more concentrated and will not drip or spread that easily.

2.

Water test. Pure honey being more concentrated, will lump and settle at the bottom in a glass of water.

3.

Shelf-life test. Pure honey will crystallize over time to become more concentrated.

4.

Light-a-fire test. Dip the tip of a matchstick with honey and strike to light it. Pure honey will light up the match.
Compromised honey will not because of its moisture content.

5.

This test was taught to me by my "honey-expert" friend. Rub honey between your thumb and index finger. If your
fingers do not get sticky, then the honey is pure . "Sticky" honey indicates sugar has been added.

The Asian rock bee

Bee size comparison

Left: Asian Rock Bee. Right: Common honey bee |

Huge beehives of the Asian rock bees

What Is Raw Unprocessed Tualang Honey

The raw unprocessed honey that I consume comes from the Asian rock bees, with the scientific name Apis Dorsata. The
honey they produce is called the tualang black honey. These Asian rock bees are the largest honey bees in the world and
measure over an inch in size. These bees live wild in the jungles and cannot be domesticated because of their ferocity. They
make their hives in special trees called the tualang trees (Koompasia excelsa). Hence the name tualang black honey. These
tualang trees are huge and are found scattered in the jungles of Malaysia. These Asian rock bees will specially build their
hives on the base of the tualang tree branches which are strong and can withstand the weight of these huge hives. The
hives are attached to the base of the strong branches and are gigantic in size and disc-shaped. Each hive can measure up
to 6 feet across with a colony of 30,000 bees! A single tualang tree can accommodate as many as 100 hives! These tualang
trees are huge and can reach up to 250 feet in height equivalent to a 30-storey high building! Another special characteristic
of the tualang tree is that it does not branch until almost 100 feet up! This means the beehives are safely located high above
ground, away from predators.
In Malaysia, the tualang honey is harvested mostly by the indigenous dwellers who live in the jungles. We call them the
orang asli which means indigenous people. These dwellers are familiar with their jungle surroundings and know how to
locate the hives. So it is virtually impossible for the ordinary person to really scrutinize the honey harvest.

The gigantic tualang tree towering over the others

The huge buttress roots of the tualang tree

Ladder scaffolding on tualang tree trunk

Bottling pure tualang honey

Special Nutrients In Raw Unprocessed Honey

All the nutrients, minerals, vitamins and enzymes in the pure honey are not being compromised because the honey has not
been processed. Honey is made by bees from the nectar and pollen of flowers. It comprises a complex combination of
water, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and carbohydrates of fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose. Raw
unprocessed honey has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
Below is a list of health benefits of raw unprocessed honey:
1.

Promotes healthy digestion

2.

Strengthens immune system

3.

Eliminates allergies and infections

4.

Heals external wounds and skin problems

5.

Relieves pain and coughs

6.

Calms nerves

7.

Treats ulcers

8.

Treats bronchitis and asthma

9.

Stabilizes blood pressure

10.

Balances sugar level

Honey also contains small amounts of pollen and propolis. Propolis is made from the sap of trees and is used to build
honeycomb. Propolis has phytonutrients that can prevent tumor buildup and cancer. Most processed honey will be deplete
of pollens and propolis. Furthermore, processed honey will be stripped of most nutrients because of the heating and
pasteurization processes.

My own bottle of raw unprocessed tualang honey

Best Way To Consume Honey

Generally people use honey as a replacement for sugar in drinks and food, or dilute honey with water to make honey drink.
For me I consume my raw unprocessed honey as a health tonic. I take a tablespoon of honey neat, once first thing in the
morning, and once before going to bed. The honey will ooze down the throat and act as a cleansing agent against any
bacteria, fungus or germs. It will also reduce or stop coughs. It is preferable to use a plastic spoon or ceramic or porcelain
spoon to avoid the metallic taste if a metal spoon is used. By the way I am also selling this special raw unprocessed tualang
honey in 1kg glass bottle.
The tualang honey is lighter in colour when freshly collected. The honey will gradually mature into very dark color and
become more viscous and thicker in consistency with higher sugar content.

A Word Of Caution
There are botulism spores in the air, water, soil and plants. Botulism spores are a type of harmful bacteria which may cause
severe poisoning resulting in vomiting, nausea, and even paralysis. The process of boiling will effectively destroy these
spores. Raw unprocessed honey may habor traces of these spores. As such, as a measure of precaution, raw unprocessed
honey should not be given to infants and children below the age of two. After this age, a person will have developed natural
defenses against these spores.

How To Store Honey

Honey should be stored at room temperature, in a cool dry place away from direct heat or sunlight. You should not keep the
honey in the refrigerator as the cold temperature will harden it making it difficult to scoop and mix. Cold temperature also
speeds up the process of granulation.

Honey is best stored in glass bottle or container to avoid any chemical reactions. If stored properly, pure honey has no expiry
period as it cannot be spoilt.