Honeycomb is one of the most incredible things in nature. Bees create these perfectly constructed arrays that can be built from multiple directions at once, requiring instinct and coordination – a testament to their industry and importance in our world. After all, bees don’t just produce honey; they’re also crucial pollinators for plants throughout the world.
Even the honeycomb itself doesn’t just have one purpose. It acts as an incubator for bee larvae, plus a place to store pollen and nectar, making honeycomb both a home and a source of food.
Of course, honeycomb is more than just a natural marvel. It’s also directly relevant to humans. If you’ve ever visited a specialty store or joined a honey of the month club, you’ve probably seen containers with honeycomb and fresh honey. These offer an unusual way to enjoy honey, one that many people love.
Such products are also somewhat confusing. Can you eat raw honeycomb? Or, are you meant to chew it like gum instead?
The short answer is yes, you can eat raw honeycomb, but it’s best to only swallow small amounts. That’s because the wax itself is indigestible and too much can cause digestive issues. The wax itself doesn’t provide many benefits anyway.
The more common approach is to chew the wax like gum, then spit it out after about 10 seconds or so. Doing so lets you extract all the honey, pollen, royal jelly, and other beneficial components, without actually swallowing the wax.
Can You Eat Raw Honeycomb?
Raw honeycomb isn’t just edible; it’s an amazing experience. Chewing on the honeycomb gives you bursts of delicious raw honey in your mouth. It’s sensory heaven, especially with the texture contrast between the honey and the comb.
That said, most of the benefits of honeycomb come from the honey it contains, rather than the accompanying wax. You can still safely swallow the honeycomb, as long as you chew it well and only eat a small amount at the time.
Or, you can chew the honeycomb long enough to get all the goodness, then spit the wax out.
Reasons To Eat Raw Honeycomb
First, let’s be clear. Most health benefits don’t come from the honeycomb itself but from the compounds found in the honey and on the honeycomb. These include small amounts of enzymes, pollen, and perhaps even royal jelly. This means you’ll see these benefits regardless of whether you swallow the honeycomb or just chew it and spit it out.
Offers Powerful Compounds
Honey is often processed, which can include significant filtering and heat treatment. While these processing steps make honey a bit safer, they also remove many valuable compounds, including pollen and some enzymes.
Raw honeycomb doesn’t go through these steps, making it more natural and a better source of healthy compounds. It’s also higher in antioxidant and could even promote your heart health.
High Quality Honey
Honey isn’t always what it seems to be. Many products are diluted with ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, while some have even been through chemical modification. In fact, honey counterfeiting is rampant, making it hard to be confident in store-bought honey.
Even when the honey is legitimate, it might not match the label. For example, expensive options like mānuka honey may be diluted with cheaper honey. Such dilutions change the honey’s flavor and reduce the potential health benefits.
Raw honeycomb can’t be faked in this way, so you know you’re always getting the good stuff. More than that, honeycomb goes through less processing than any other type of honey (and certainly isn’t pasteurized). This helps ensure that it has the best possible flavor.
The Sensory Experience
Finally, many people are interested in the entire experience of eating honeycomb.
Part of the appeal is the texture. There’s a fantastic contrast between the smoothness of the honey and the honeycomb’s combination of crunchiness and chewiness. The texture works exceptionally well when serving honeycomb on toast or eating it alongside cheese.
You also get delicious flavor hits from the honey as you chew the honeycomb. This makes the experience last much longer than simply eating honey on its own.
Risks Of Eating Honeycomb
While honeycomb is generally safe, there are some risks to consider. As a result, some people may even need to avoid raw honeycomb entirely.
Choking
Honeycomb presents a slight choking hazard, as the hexagonal cells are dense and sticky. This issue is most relevant for young children and anyone with swallowing difficulties.
Still, even healthy adults should chew the honeycomb thoroughly and only swallow small pieces at a time. Cutting the honeycomb into small pieces before eating it helps as well.
If you’re worried about choking, consider chewing the honeycomb and then spitting it out. You still get all the benefits this way and aren’t putting yourself at risk.
Digestive Issues
Honeycomb is indigestible. This isn’t a huge issue in itself, as the honeycomb will simply pass through your body. However, consuming large amounts of honeycomb could lead to digestive issues, including diarrhea or a stomach obstruction.
Dramatic digestive side effects from honeycomb are rare, so this isn’t a huge concern. It’s still worth being aware of though, especially if you eat honeycomb regularly.
Allergies
Honeycomb contains small amounts of bee pollen and can trigger allergic reactions in people who are allergic to pollen or bee venom. Such reactions are minor, but it’s still best to avoid raw honeycomb if you have a bee allergy.
Bacteria
Raw honey can contain tiny amounts of Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism. The amount is small enough that healthy adults shouldn’t experience any issues with raw honey or raw honeycomb.
However, anyone with a weakened immune system should focus on pasteurized honey instead. This is true for pregnant women as well.
The Sugar Content
Chewing raw honeycomb means you’re consuming a decent amount of sugar. Doing so is certainly healthier than eating highly processed sugary foods, but the sugar from honey still contributes to issues like inflammation.
As such, it’s important to think of honeycomb as you would any other source of sugar. In other words, look at honey as a treat food – not a health tonic.
Who Should Avoid Raw Honeycomb?
While the risks are low, raw honeycomb isn’t right for everyone. In particular, pregnant women, infants, and anyone with a compromised immune system should avoid raw honey because of the potential microbes.
People with sensitive digestive systems should also be wary of honeycomb. If you do plan to eat honeycomb, start with a small amount and see how your body responds. Individual tolerances vary, so you won’t know until you try for yourself.
How To Eat Raw Honeycomb
First, we have the practical side of things. Eating raw honeycomb is as simple as putting it in your mouth, chewing, and swallowing or spitting the waxy comb.
Of course, the bigger question is how you serve raw honeycomb. Here are some approaches to consider.
- Eat it as-is. Honeycomb doesn’t require special treatment. You can slice it thinly or scoop the comb out with a spoon and eat it.
- Add to a charcuterie board. These boards feature cured meat, cheese, and other goodies, so why not add a little honeycomb to make the board stand out?
- On toast. Honeycomb is often sliced thinly and then served on toast, perhaps with some butter. The heat from the toast softens the honeycomb and makes it easy to eat.
- With cheese. Honeycomb and cheese is a popular combo. You could simply eat slices of each or enjoy honeycomb and cheese on fresh bread.
- With ice cream. Try softening vanilla ice cream and then stirring in chunks of honeycomb. Doing so creates a delicious flavor and texture contrast. Just avoid refreezing the ice cream after, as the honeycomb will become brittle.
- Add to your breakfast. Honeycomb works well with many breakfast foods, including pancakes, waffles, and oatmeal. The heat softens the wax, while you also get a delightful contrast of textures and flavors.
What Does Honeycomb Taste Like?
Most of the flavor you’ll notice is that of the raw honey contained inside the honeycomb. This is always delicious, although the flavor profile varies depending on the type of honey.
The taste of the honey might be surprising if you’ve mostly eaten pasteurized or blended honey in the past, as raw honey is often more flavorful. Also, the honey is less processed and has been exposed to the air less than honey you buy in a jar. This can give it a more complex and earthy flavor profile. You might also notice more floral notes than with regular raw honey.
The honeycomb itself has some slight sweet and earthy notes, but it mostly just tastes like wax. You’ll start to notice the taste of the honeycomb itself after you’ve been chewing it for a while and have swallowed most of the honey.
Indeed, chewing honeycomb rapidly becomes unappealing once you’ve consumed the honey. It really is like chewing on a piece of wax.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does Raw Honeycomb Last?
Like honey, honeycomb has an indefinite shelf life. It will last as long as you want it to, provided as you keep it in a sealed container. The honey might crystallize over time, but this doesn’t make the honey or honeycomb unsafe.
Can You Freeze Raw Honeycomb?
Raw honeycomb freezes surprisingly well. Because of the low water content, there’s no expansion, which keeps the structure of the honeycomb in place. Freezing the honeycomb even pauses crystallization, keeping the honey in its liquid state for longer.
Where Do You Buy Honeycomb?
There are many options for purchasing honeycomb. You’re likely to find some in local markets and specialty stores. Some grocery stores sell it as well, not to mention many online retailers like Amazon. You can also research local apiaries, as many beekeepers will sell their products directly to the public.
Can You Buy Pasteurized Honeycomb?
Honeycomb is generally only sold in its raw state, as the pasteurization process would melt the beeswax and damage its structure.
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