Boas Comidas

Glossário Culinário

Honey

Ingrediente

Também chamado de
bee honey, wildflower honey

Honey is the natural sweetener bees make from flower nectar, with a sweet, floral flavor and texture from liquid to crystallized. In cooking, it sweetens, moistens batters, browns roasts and balances savory dishes with an aroma plain sugar cannot offer.

Characteristics

Types vary by blossom and texture:

  • Wildflower honey: the most common, mild and all-purpose.
  • Orange blossom honey: light and fragrant, great for delicate desserts and teas.
  • Eucalyptus honey: darker and fuller, good for breads and marinades.
  • Crystallized honey: hardened over time, turns liquid again in a gentle water bath.
  • Cane molasses: not bee honey but cane syrup used similarly in breads and desserts.

Color and aroma signal strength: light honeys are delicate, dark ones are bold.

Uses in the kitchen

Honey is the heart of honey cake (pão de mel), honey cakes, cornmeal cakes and soft peanut brittle, besides sweetening granolas, yogurts, teas and juices. In roasts, brushed over chicken, spare ribs and vegetables, it builds a golden sweet-sour crust. It also goes into honey-mustard dressings for salads, marinades, preserves and as a finish over cheeses, tapioca crepes and pancakes.

Substitutions

In desserts, honey can be swapped for cane molasses, maple syrup or dissolved brown sugar, adjusting liquids, as honey moistens batter. For each cup of sugar, use less honey with less liquid in the recipe. In sweet-sour sauces, orange marmalade or sugar with lime do the job. For safety, honey should not be given to babies under one year old.

Fun facts

Crystallized honey has not spoiled: it is a natural process of the sugars, reversed with gentle heat. To measure without sticking, grease the spoon or cup with a thread of oil. Store in a tightly closed jar, in a cool dark place; it lasts long when kept from moisture. In honey cakes, resting the batter for a few hours deepens the spices and improves texture.

Recipes with honey

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