How to identify authentic bee candy

Authentic honey can be identified by observing its color, smelling its aroma, tasting its taste, testing its viscosity, and examining its crystalline state.

1. Color

The color of natural honey varies depending on the source plant, commonly ranging from light amber to dark brown, with good translucency. Poor quality honey may exhibit unnatural colors due to the addition of pigments, or darken due to high-temperature treatment. Pure honey may be stratified after standing, and the upper layer is foam like active substance.

2. Odor

True honey has a sweet floral aroma corresponding to the honey source plant, such as the elegant fragrance of locust nectar and the fruity aroma of jujube honey. The fake honey may give off the pungent smell of essence or the burnt flavor of syrup, and some of the adulterated honey has a faint smell. The aroma of real honey may weaken in low temperature environments, but it can recover after warming up.

3. Taste

Pure honey has a soft and delicate texture on the palate, with a rich sweet taste accompanied by a slight sourness and astringency, and a slight spicy sensation in the throat. Fake honey has a single sweet taste that lingers on the tongue and may produce a sweet or unpleasant odor. When real honey dissolves in warm water, it produces small bubbles, while syrup blends dissolve quickly without any reaction.

4. Viscosity

High quality honey has a smooth ribbon like appearance when poured, and its flowability decreases at low temperatures but it does not solidify. The fake honey mixed with syrup has a thin texture and pours intermittently. True honey can be picked up with chopsticks to pull out slender honey threads, which will bounce back into a bead shape after breaking.

5. crystallization state

Most pure honey naturally crystallizes at low temperatures, and the crystalline particles are soft and easy to twist. Fake honey crystals mixed with maltose are hard, while white sugar blends may exhibit layered crystallization. Rapeseed honey and other easily crystallized honey seeds maintain a granular texture throughout the year, while locust flower honey and other less easily crystallized honey seeds should be cautious if they suddenly crystallize.

It is recommended to choose regular channel products for daily honey purchase, and check the product testing report and production license. True honey is rich in nutrition and contains many active enzymes, but patients with diabetes and infants under one year old should use it with caution. Store in a cool and sealed place, avoiding metal containers. If honey is found to ferment and become sour or produce a taste of alcohol, it should be immediately stopped from consumption.