This sweet and thick amber liquid is made by honey bees from the nectar of flowers. Honey is one of the oldest sweeteners. Its earliest known representation appears on a cave painting in Spain dating to the Stone Age. Today, it is most popularly used as a sweetener for tea, a spread for toast and biscuits or as an ingredient in breads, pastries and confections, such as Greek baklava. The color and flavor of the honey is determined by the type of flower from which the nectar originated. The color of honey ranges from a delicate pale gold to a deep amber. The taste usually reflects the color: the lighter the color, the milder the flavor. In the United States, some of the most popular honeys are orange blossom, clover, acacia, tupelo, thyme, buckwheat and heather honey, each bearing its own distinct character. Much of the honey sold in supermarkets is mild enough for all-purpose use. Some honey flavors, such as heather, pine flower and buckwheat honey, have pronounced flavors and should be used only in dishes that are compatible with their strong flavors.

Honey is sold in one of three forms. Comb honey, taken directly from the hive, has the liquid honey still stored in the waxy comb, which is edible. Chunk honey includes small bits of the comb. By far the most common is extracted liquid honey, which has been removed from the comb by centrifugal force, heated, strained, filtered and often pasteurized to prevent crystallization. It is sold in jars or squeeze bottles.

If honey crystallizes, place the opened container in a pan of hot water and gently stir the honey until it liquifies. It can also be liquified by removing the lid and microwaving the honey at HIGH for 20 to 60 seconds.

Creamed honey is honey that has been agitated to become a creamy, opaque spread. Honey butter is a mixture of honey and butter. Both products are usually used as spreads for toast or biscuits.

Do not refrigerate honey as it will become grainy and too thick to use. It can be stored up to a year in a cool, dry and dark place in a tightly sealed jar. (Comb or chunk honey can be stored for six months.) When spooning honey from the jar, be sure not to contaminate it with other ingredients, which may cause the honey to become moldy.

In baked goods, honey adds sweetness while imparting its distinct taste. Its use results in a moist, dense product. In most cases, substituting honey for sugar in baked goods is not recommended although using honey in place of other liquid sweeteners, such as maple syrup, corn syrup and molasses, usually is successful.