Honey

Honey—flower nectar collected and processed by honeybees—was probably the first sweetener. An early cave painting shows Neolithic man collecting wild honey from a hive. Honey remained the primary sweetener in Europe for thousands of years until the use of sugar became widespread in the 1700s.

Today honey is an expensive ingredient, used primarily for its unique flavor. After it is collected from beehives, it is separated from the waxy honeycomb, heated to dissolve crystals and destroy spoilage yeast, and filtered to remove impurities. Honey is sold mostly as syrup, but honey cream is also available, consisting of tiny crystals suspended in concentrated syrup.