HONEY AS FOOD. 



258 



HONEY AS rOOD. 



into Iieat and work. It differs from sugar 

 in two important particulars. First, it does 

 not require to be "inverted,'' or converted 

 into natural glucose (it is that already), a 

 process which frequently leads to diabetes 

 (kidney trouble); and,rjgain, it possesses an 

 aroma and flavor which granulated sugar 

 does not. It is a purely natural production, 

 requiring neither cooking nor preparation. 



There is an almost infinite variety of fla- 

 vors in honey, so that the peculiar palate of 

 every one can be suited. In dealing with 

 children and delicate people this is important. 

 In countries where the consumption of sugar 

 is large, as in the United States, Canada, and 

 the British Islands,a kidney disease (diabetes) 

 generally spoken of as a "kidney trouble,"' 

 is quite common. This is due to the fact 

 that the system of those afflicted is so con- 

 stituted that they are unable to convert or- 

 dinary sugar into glucose. There is always 

 a certain number of such people in every 

 community. Diabetes, as the doctors term it, 

 bears considerable resemblance to Bright's 

 disease of the kidneys, which is, however, 

 due to excess of albumen— not sugar. 



Children generally crave sometliing sweet, 

 a perfectly healthy and natural longing 

 which ought to be satisfied in some way. 

 Tills is generally done by giving confection- 

 ery and sweetmeats, which frequently are 

 rather indigestible. Honey can be made to 

 take their place witli most children if allow- 

 ed in the regular dietary. In this way the 

 craving for sweets is effectively met. In 

 France and other parts of Europe the doc- 

 tors recommend honey and cream, or honey 

 and butter, for the treatment of consump- 

 tively inclined children. They say this com- 

 bination is better than cod-liver-oil emul- 

 sion, for the reason it is much more pala- 

 table and satisfactory to the patient's stom- 

 ach. 



Honey is very effectively used in summer 

 drinks, and sliould take precedence of sugar 

 in this respect, more particularly where 

 workmen are employed in hot fatiguing 

 work such as in glass and iron factories. 



Immense quantities of honey are used by 

 bakers, both in America and Europe. In 

 this country alone the National Biscuit 

 Co. uses an amount which seems staggering 

 to a man unacquainted with the industry. 

 This concern recently purchased in one lot 

 70 carloads of good honey, and is always in 

 the market for honey in big lots. There are 

 no means of knowing just how much honey 

 the baking industry uses in this country; 

 but it is very large indeed. The best bakers 



have discovered tliat honey is far superior to 

 sugar as a sweetening agent. The latter 

 causes the cakes and bread made with it to 

 dry up and become unpalatable in a few 

 days; whereas honey, on the other hand, 

 causes them to remain sweet and moist for 

 a long period. Cases are reported of honey- 

 jumbles remaining moist for twelve years; 

 and in France nobody thinks it is any thing 

 very wonderful to keep honey-bread a year 

 or eighteen months, and yet remain perfect- 

 ly good and satisfactory. If hard, it is sim- 

 ply put into a damp place for a few days, 

 when it returns to its original condition. 



It is perfectly clear that, wliere bread and 

 cakes are made in factories, they must have 

 some "keeping" qualities; and by experi- 

 ence the managers have found honey the 

 only acceptable agent for this purpose. At 

 Dijon, in France, from time immemorial a 

 kind of honey-bread [pain cZ'eptce, or Leb 

 Kuclien, as the Germans call it) has been 

 made and has a wide fame. It is also made 

 in other parts of Europe, but tliat place seems 

 to excel in its production. The bakers there 

 are fastidious, and can not be induced to use 

 any but buckwheat honey. They say they 

 can not risk their reputation by using any 

 other. The honey is obtained in Brittany; 

 and when it is used up the bakers simply 

 stop baking rather than use a substitute. 



Honey-bread is now made and sold in New 

 York, and what we have used of it here in 

 Medina proved to be very fine eating indeed. 

 The general opinion of it was, it would be 

 very acceptable to dyspeptics or persons of 

 impaired digestion, being very open and po- 

 rous, and easily masticated. 



Honey-cakes and jumbles have attained a 

 very large consumption of late years, show- 

 ing that consumers appreciate a really nice 

 and satisfactory article, no matter if it seems 

 somewhat higher priced than similar foods. 



A considerable amount of honey has 

 been used in confectionery, and this demand 

 is increasing ; in this connection beeswax 

 is also used to some extent. The beeswax 

 is used in about the same proportions that 

 we find it in a piece of comb honey, and 

 some actually buy comb honey for making 

 confectionery. Honey-candies coated with 

 chocolate are much consumed in Europe. 



Honey is largely used as medicine and as 

 a vehicle for carrying nauseous doses. It 

 is so soothing in action that it is used ef- 

 fectively for many purposes in the sick- 

 room. In continental Europe the doctors 

 often recommend and use honey. For some 

 unexplained reason our medical men are not 



