Everyone knows the taste of honey. But there’s a catch – it’s store-bought honey. Some people assume that raw honeycomb is not edible.
However, honeycomb is not only edible; it is delicious.
These hexagonal pockets of wax have a refreshing taste that the best ones on the shelves cannot rival.
The honeycomb is, of course, a combination of these wax containers with honey.
So what does honeycomb taste like? Is it waxy, chewy, or sweet?
Below is a taste description of honeycomb along with its nutritional information. We also share tips on the best ways to eat honeycomb.
What is Honeycomb?
Honeycomb refers to the mass of prismatic wax that contains the honey and larva of honeybees.
According to Wikipedia, the structure of the honeybees is natural and has a hexagonal pattern.
Interestingly, to secrete 1 lb of wax, bees have to consume about 8.4 lbs of honey.
Beekeepers worldwide harvest the honeycomb and extract the honey with a honey extractor to prevent damage to the comb.
This is important so that the empty honeycomb can be returned to the hive.
However, a fresh honeycomb is also sold if the honey is used as a spreader rather than a sweetener.
What Does Honeycomb Taste Like? Does Honeycomb Taste Good?
Fresh honeycomb has a sweet and delicate taste that is absolutely refreshing. The honey is sweet without being overpowering.
The combs have a flaky texture at the beginning. However, as you begin to move it around in your mouth, it gets chewy, almost like a piece of chewing gum.
Although honeycomb has a distinctly sweet taste, the underlying flavor can differ from one honeycomb to the other.
The flowers that the bees visit are different from one region to another. So the nectar of the flowers affects the final taste and color of the honey in the combs.
The honeycomb becomes tasteless, and a soft waxy mass after it is completely free of honey. At this point, the honeycomb is discarded.
Nutrition value of honeycomb compared to others.
Although beeswax does not have exceptional nutritional value, the benefits of raw honey are well known.
So the nutritional information of honey per 100 g, according to USDA, is as follows:
- Sugar – 82.12 g, out of which 35.75 is glucose, 40.94 is fructose, 3.1 is galactose, and 0.89 is sucrose.
- Carbohydrate – 82.4 g with 0.2 g of dietary fiber
- Protein – 0.3 g
- Ash – 0.2 g
- Water – 17.1 g
- Minerals – Traces of copper, zinc, selenium, manganese, potassium, and calcium.
- Vitamins – Traces of vitamin B6, C, niacin and thiamine.
The total calories per 100 g of honey are 1272 KJ.
Eating honeycomb does not warrant a safety warning. However, children below the age of one and pregnant women should avoid it to prevent any form of allergies.
How to Eat/ Use Honeycomb in Recipes?
One of the best things about honeycomb is that you can eat it straight out of the hive.
However, you can also add the combs to recipes to enjoy its sweet and delicate taste.
Here’s how:
- Go the traditional way.
Scooping honeycomb with a spoon is the classic way to eat it. After you finish relishing the sweetness of honey, chew on the wax like a piece of gum or simply discard it.
- Add honeycomb to breakfast.
Honeycomb makes a great addition to breakfast foods. Whether oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, waffles, or warm slices of bread, it elevates the taste considerably.
- Complementing a cheese board.
Not surprisingly, honeycombs pair fantastically with many types of cheeses. Goat cheese and blue cheese are the classic pair, but others will do equally great. So don’t hesitate to put chunks of honeycomb on a cheeseboard.
- In salads and charcuterie board.
Another great way to enjoy the taste of honeycomb is to add it to salads and charcuterie board. The sweetness and the flakiness of the honeycomb excellently complement the taste of veggies, fruit, and meat.
Conclusion
The taste of honeycomb is undeniably sweet and refreshing. However, you can only appreciate the full extent of its authentic taste when you eat it.
So, don’t hesitate to try the honeycomb, the next time you get an opportunity to taste a honeycomb.
Keep the chunks moderate and appreciate the labor of honeybees melting in your mouth.
What Does Honeycomb Taste Like? Does Honeycomb Taste Good?
Ingredients
- Honeycomb
- Ingredients from your favorite recipes
Instructions
- Depending on the recipes you choose, the taste can vastly differ.
- For authentic results, it is important to choose a recipe that will highlight the original flavor.
- Have fun experimenting with different recipes and taste tests!
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