The history of honey in Arabia is long and distinguished – Abu Dhabi Week tours some of the best shops in the capital to find out all about this essential commodity
The kids are up to their elbows in crumbs and sticky goo, but they’re not about to relinquish their warm slices of toast coated with butter and the most deliciously sweet honey they’ve ever tasted. Though there are literally hundreds of varieties of honey from all over the world, two kinds – Samr and Sidr – are the most famous in this region.
“Samr honey is produced in the summer season while Sidr is harvested during the winter, from the beginning of November until December – Sidr is much stronger and sweeter,” says Khalid Al Shamsi of Abu Dhabi Organic Farm who sells these two famous brands in his organic shop Mazaraa (02 447 9933) on 30th/Khaleej Al Arabi Street behind National Bank of Abu Dhabi.
‘‘Well’, said Pooh, ‘what I like best...’ and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called’
– Winnie the Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner
Want to see honey making in action? Khalid’s farm in Sweihan produces six different types of honey including mid season mixed flower honey, plus honey produced from the arak tree (the same one those miswak teeth cleaning twigs come from), the raf tree and the yellow flowers that grow in the mangroves. To try a taste of pure honeycomb, call Mazaraa to organise a guided tour of the farm.
The bees’ knees
While the smaller Emirati species of bees can produce honey all year – even in this hot climate – they don’t produce as much as their larger Egyptian cousins. It is the larger variety that Khalid keeps at the Abu Dhabi Organic Farm where the hives are never treated with chemicals.
The experts at Bees Kingdom (02 666 8988) on Electra Street in Khalidiya also swear by the Sidr that’s made from hard-to-reach flowers high in the mountains of Yemen. This potent stuff sells for AED 1,500 per kilogram.
It’s interesting to note that most farmers both in the UAE and around the world keep honey bees whether they produce honey or not because the bees are essential for pollination of all crops, not just for making honey.
Why honey?
“I’m trying to watch my weight so I always use honey instead of sugar,” says Hamed Al Balushi who buys his favourite brand at Wadi Doan in Khalidiya Mall (02 449 9041). “It’s a lot better for me.”
How so? Though it’s higher in calories than refined sugar, honey doesn’t need to be processed and because it’s composed of levulose and dextrose, it absorbs directly into the bloodstream without having to be broken down by the digestive system. Honey is also a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals, but it contains no cholesterol and practically no sodium.
Our friends at Emirates Hilal Centre for Honey and Herbs in Khalidiya (02 639 3500) point out that honey generally has a sweeter flavour than sugar – especially the powerful Sidr honey – so you can use less of it, saving on calories.
Honey skips the digestive process, so it can give you a quick boost of energy, and the antioxidants and antibacterial properties of honey help to boost the immune system and improve the digestive tract. And while most other foods will eventually spoil, honey will remain flavourful and liquid indefinitely in your cupboard.
A brief history of honey
Honey (along with date syrup) has been an integral part of human history in the Middle East and North Africa, which explains its appearance in Sumerian and Babylonian cuneiform writing as early as 2100 BC, the first Hittite code of law and every major religious text in the world.
While honey has long been valued for its flavour, it has been treasured for centuries throughout the world for its medicinal properties. Lemon and honey has long been recognised as an excellent remedy for the flu. (NOTE: If you’re making honey/lemon tea, don’t add the honey to boiling water – honey is most beneficial in water no hotter than 27 degrees.)
Even more fascinating, honey has been used throughout history for its antiseptic quality, protecting wounds from infection. Scientists now know why – water molecules strongly react with the sugars in honey, which means honey can lethally dehydrate the bacteria that causes infection, and the enzymatic activities of honey produce hydrogen peroxide which also kills bacteria.
Warning! Honey is not for babies!
While all natural, honey can carry the spores of C. Botulinum. This particular strain of botulism – though normally benign – may be harmful to the undeveloped immune systems of infants, so avoid giving raw honey to children until they reach the age of 12 months old. Infant botulism is rarely lethal and the risk is minimal, but many paediatricians agree that it’s better not to take the risk.
The look of milk and honey
Egyptian queen Cleopatra famously bathed in milk and honey and for good reason – milk contains lactic acid, a form of alpha hydroxy acid which exfoliates the skin, and honey attracts water which makes it an excellent moisturiser. Want to get the Cleopatra look? Try one of these honey-based treatments.
The milk and honey wrap at Panacea Beauty Spa (02 666 7884) will soften and moisturise your dry skin leaving you gorgeous
You’ll feel like the queen herself at the end of the Gateway to Arabia Signature Treatment at Emirates Palace’s Anantara Spa (02 690 9000) which includes a royal honey jelly body mask
Named for the famous lady herself, the Cleopatra Honey and Milk Bath at Aesthetic Skincare Centre (02 681 8711) is sure to leave you relaxed and glowing
We love the full body honey masque that’s just part of the Rose and Honey Wrap at Chi Spa (02 509 8900) at the Shangri La Hotel
Go organic with the Shiffa Luxury Facial at Sisters Beauty Lounge (02 222 2501) where the organic honey face mask will sooth your ravaged skin
Laura Fulton
