Hant Blog

Ingredients (1 serving):●   2–3 tbsp chia seeds●   1 tsp matcha●   1 tsp HANT honey●   ½ tsp vanilla extract●   1 tbsp Greek yogurt●   200 ml milk of choice Serve:●   Granola, extra Greek yogurt, and blueberries Preparation:1. Mix chia seeds, matcha, honey, vanilla, yogurt, and milk in a bowl.2. Whisk everything well so there are no lumps.3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).4. Serve with granola, extra Greek yogurt, and blueberries

Honey is not just a sweetener. It is a complex natural product full of enzymes, minerals, and antioxidants. But did you know that most commercial honey largely loses these valuable properties before it reaches your cupboard? What is raw honey? Raw honey is honey that comes directly from the beehive (only coarsely filtered) and is not heated or industrially processed. This preserves all the natural substances: Enzymes (important for digestion) Antioxidants (natural protectors) Pollen (with essential micronutrients) Vitamins and minerals The three ways the industry removes nutrients Most supermarket honey undergoes three processes that severely reduce its nutritional value: Heating (The dealbreaker) Honey is heated to prevent crystallization and keep the product liquid longer. Unfortunately, above 40–42 °C enzymes and antioxidants lose their effectiveness. You end up with a nice, liquid, but biologically inferior sweetener. Filtering (The mystery) Honey is heavily filtered to remove pollen and particles. This creates a commercially clear product, but pollen is actually a carrier of valuable vitamins and minerals. This filtering is done purely for aesthetics, not for your health. Blending (The distraction) Supermarket honey is often a ‘blend’ of EU and non-EU honey, without transparency about the origin. The quality of this foreign honey can vary greatly. Our honey is 100% EU origin, harvested only in Bulgaria. No blend, just pure transparency. Why you should choose raw honey Raw honey is more than just a sweetener; it is an unprocessed treasure from nature. Choosing raw honey means choosing pure quality. Here are the main reasons why you should opt for the unheated, unprocessed variety: 1. Preservation of natural protectors Raw honey is never heated. This is crucial because heating destroys the most valuable properties. Our honey therefore retains: Enzymes: These contribute to the natural antibacterial and antifungal properties of honey. Antioxidants (polyphenols): These substances help protect your body against free radicals, which is beneficial for overall health. Pollen: Pollen is a miniature nutritional bomb. It contains proteins, amino acids, and traces of vitamins and minerals. This is completely absent in most filtered honey. 2. A sign of true quality Most honey is heated to remain nicely liquid. Raw honey shows the opposite: Natural crystallization: The fact that raw honey hardens over time is proof of quality. It means the product is unheated and the natural sugars remain in their original state. Full traceability: Raw honey often comes from transparent, small-scale sources (like our Bulgarian honey). This contrasts with the often blended and heavily processed supermarket honey, whose exact origin is unclear. 3. Traditional use and digestion The active, unprocessed components in raw honey support the body in various ways: Soothing effect: It is a proven, traditional remedy to soothe the throat. Prebiotic support: Raw honey naturally contains prebiotic substances that help support the growth of ‘good’ bacteria in your gut flora. Choosing raw honey means choosing a product that is as close to nature as possible, with all original benefits intact.

In Europe, the honey market is in turmoil. Recent studies show that nearly half of the imported honey is adulterated with cheap sugar syrups. The EU is responding with new regulations, but consumers can already make a difference. It starts with one word on the label: 'mixed'. The problem with ‘Mixed EU and non-EU honey’ In most supermarkets, the honey label shows one of the following vague terms: "Mixed EU honey" "Mixed non-EU honey" "Mixed EU and non-EU honey" These designations, allowed under the old EU guidelines, are not transparent. They give consumers no idea about the actual origin or, crucially, the proportion of honey from the different countries. For example, a jar may contain 99% cheap honey from a country with a high risk of fraud and 1% expensive EU honey, but legally the vague 'mixed' label suffices. This lack of transparency makes it very easy to market cheap, diluted honey in Europe. Shocking results: Honey adulterated with sugar syrups This lack of transparency has major consequences. Coordinated EU investigations revealed that a significant portion of honey imported into Europe did not meet the definition of honey because it was diluted with cheap sugar syrups (such as rice, wheat, or beet syrup). This is outright fraud, undercutting beekeepers who follow the rules and misleading consumers. This ‘fake honey’ is cheaper to produce, does not have the same nutritional and medicinal properties as pure honey, and endangers the entire beekeeping sector. European Coordinated Survey (2023): The European Commission report on the coordinated action "From the Hives" (conducted in 2021-2022). This study revealed that 46% of tested batches of imported honey were suspected of adulteration with added sugar syrups. European Parliament and the Council (2024): The political agreement on the revision of the "Breakfast Directives" (honey directive). This confirms that the EU is tightening legislation to tackle fraud and the lack of transparency about origin countries and their percentages. Type of Fraud: News articles and scientific analyses from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) confirm that the adulteration mainly involved the use of cheap sugar syrups (such as rice syrup or beet syrup) to dilute the honey. The Organic Guarantee and Control You may wonder how control works, especially for organic honey. Our honey carries an organic certification. This means that controls in Bulgaria and then in the EU are extra strict. Organic organizations check not only for the absence of pesticides and antibiotics but also for: The bees must collect nectar within a 3-kilometer zone free from pesticides and pollution. (no highways, no industry). Supplementary feeding during scarcity is only allowed with organic honey or organic sugar. Chemical treatments and the use of antibiotics are prohibited for the health of the bees. Processing must preserve the natural composition and nutritional value of the honey. The final product is strictly tested for purity (no added sugar syrups) and the absence of chemical residues and antibiotics. Complete documentation is mandatory to trace the honey from the jar back to the original beehive. The future: Clearer labels are coming Good news is that the European Union has responded to the widespread fraud. A political agreement has recently been reached on revising the labeling rules (the so-called ‘Breakfast Directives’). In the future, for mixed honey it will be mandatory to: List the countries of origin on the label. Indicate the percentage share for each country, in descending order. This is a major victory for consumers and honest beekeepers. But these new rules are not yet in force. Make a difference now You don’t have to wait for new legislation to be sure of your honey quality. The solution is simple: Buy honey that is transparent in its ingredient list Our honey is 100% ORGANIC Bulgarian flower honey. Not mixed, fully transparent, and directly traceable.