Honey was also one of the few preservatives known to the ancients and was considered a powerful source of resurrection magic. Pagan tribes in the Mediterranean once placed their dead in a fetal position and embalmed them with a jar of honey, so that they could await rebirth in heaven. Some Christian mythology claims that bees have their origin in the tears Christ shed during the Crucifixion. An ancient Egyptian scroll listed more than 500 recipes that included honey as one of the ingredients. The Greeks and Romans were particularly fond of honey and used it for everything, including flavoring wine. Honey is part of many christening, matrimonial and funerary rites in every civilization. In ancient Egypt, the bride would supply honey to the groom's parents in a yearly gift for the duration of her marriage. The ancient Hindus anointed the bride's forehead, lips, eyelids and earlobes with honey. Honey has always been associated with stimulated erotic powers and, for centuries, all love potions and elixirs included honey as an ingredient. Still in Morocco today, the groom retires alone to eat honey to enhance his performance before his first nuptial night. Honey has also been used for colds, coughs, fever, allergic rhinitis, skin infections and in a poultice for splinters.
The flavor of honey depends on what the bees have been feeding, and can vary greatly in different parts of the world. Blended honeys are usually the least expensive and distinctive.
From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
