Honey Day (Hachimitsu no Hi)

What is Honey Day?

Every year on August 3rd, Japan celebrates "Honey Day." It was established in 1985 by the All Japan Honey Cooperative (Zen-Nihon Hachimitsu Kyodo Kumiai) and the Japan Beekeeping Honey Association (now the Japan Beekeeping Association). The date comes from the wordplay "hachi (8) mitsu (3)" (honey). It's a day to share the appeal of honey, made by honeybees from the nectar of flowers.

Humanity's Long History With Honey

Honey is one of the sweeteners humans have used since ancient times.

• Honey gathering in a cave painting: The Cuevas de la Araña in Spain contain a painting of a person climbing what appears to be a rope ladder to collect honey from a wild bees' nest. It is thought to date from around 6000 BC (about 8,000 years ago) and is regarded as one of the oldest records of the human relationship with honey.
• Beekeeping in ancient Egypt: Beekeeping is known to have been practiced in ancient Egypt, and temple reliefs depict hives and honey collection. Honey was used not only as food but also in rituals.

Why Honey Keeps So Well

Honey is known as a food that keeps well even at room temperature.

• Lots of sugar, little water: Honey is about 80% sugar and only about 20% water. Its very high sugar concentration makes it hard for most microorganisms to grow.
• Mildly acidic: Thanks to enzymes added by bees, honey contains gluconic acid and other acids that keep it mildly acidic.

Interesting Facts About Honey

• How much one bee makes: The honey made from the nectar a single worker bee collects in her lifetime is said to be about a teaspoon. A jar of honey represents the work of a great many bees.
• Turning white means crystallization: When honey turns whitish and hardens, it's because its glucose has crystallized — it hasn't gone bad. Warming it gently in water at around 40°C helps it return to liquid.
• Flavor depends on the flowers: Chinese milk vetch (renge), acacia, buckwheat — the type of flower the bees visit greatly changes the color, aroma, and taste. Buckwheat honey is dark with a distinctive flavor.
• Manuka honey: Manuka honey from New Zealand and elsewhere contains a compound called methylglyoxal (MGO), and grades are labeled based on its content and other factors.
• Never give honey to babies under one: Honey can contain bacteria that cause infant botulism, so Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare warns not to give it to infants under one year old.

Tips for Enjoying Honey Day

• Add a little honey to your usual yogurt or toast.
• Make "honey lemon" by soaking lemon slices in honey.
• Compare honeys from different flowers, such as acacia and renge.
• In households with small children, make sure everyone knows the rule: no honey for infants under one.

The Gifts of Bees and Flowers in a Single Spoonful

August 3rd is a day to appreciate the honey that bees gather by flying from flower to flower. People have enjoyed its sweetness for thousands of years. Today, why not slowly savor a spoonful of honey while paying attention to its floral source and origin?