There are many different types of honey, depending on the type of plant it comes from. Some types include orange blossom honey, clover honey, sage honey, and eucalyptus honey. There are slight variations to the taste of the honey depending on the plant it comes from, but still delicious (if you like honey). Aside from tasting great, honey is also very useful medicinally.

Honey is excellent for sore throats and coughs. Honey is very soothing and kills certain bacteria. A tablespoon of honey, or honey and lemon is very helpful for a sore throat or a cough. Hot tea (such as Chamomile) sweetened with honey or even warm milk with honey (one of my favorites) are also very helpful. Just be careful if you decide on the warm milk and honey; if your sore throat and/or cough is accompanied by sinus congestion or excess mucus, the milk, which increases mucus production (as all dairy products generally do), can make you more uncomfortable. I would stick with hot tea and honey in that case.

The soothing and antibacterial properties also help with simple wounds such as scrapes and scratches. Some cultures even use honey to treat minor burns. The honey, when applied directly on the injury (in a thin layer) will soothe and protect it, and so speed up the healing process. Unfortunately, the honey will melt with body heat, and so you can wrap the injury and the honey with some thin, breathable fabric. The honey can also be mixed with a little bit of flour and then placed on the injury in order to help keep it from liquifying.

Honey also relieves fatigue due to its quickly absorbed sugars. If you need a quick “pick me up” and are not in the mood for something caffinated or chocolate, try a spoonful or two of honey. You can eat it straight or mix it with water.

And last but not least . . . as a tasty snack . . . mix honey with lightly melted butter (honey to butter ratio to taste) and spread it onto a slice of lightly toasted bread (I prefer pita bread, but it is just as good on loaf bread) or a flour tortilla.