Which food never spoils?

Imagine that you’re an archaeologist who has just discovered the unopened tomb of a pharoah! In amongst the many treasures that were placed in the tomb you find the dried-out, mummified remains of food that was left for the pharoah to eat in the afterlife. And in the middle of that, you find a jar of honey… which is still good to eat after 5,000 years in the tomb!

Remarkably, honey is probably the only food on the planet that doesn’t spoil. The secret lies in how it is made.

When bees visit flowers, they gather the watery nectar from the blossoms and carry it back to the hive in their stomachs. Then they regurgitate it into a cell of the honeycomb, and will eat and regurgitate it several times until it’s just right. Then the bees stand over the cells and fan them with their wings. This makes the water in the nectar evaporate! As the water evaporates, the honey gets thicker and sweeter. Eventually, it is so concentrated that nothing can grow in it that would make it spoil. That’s when the bees put a cap of wax on the cell and store the honey for the winter.

As honey gets older, it may change colour or crystalize, but as long as water doesn’t get into it, it’s still safe to eat!

Honey can be made from many different plants, and will change colour depending on which plant the nectar was harvested from. Some honeys are white, and some are so dark they’re almost purple. Buckwheat honey has even been found to be better at treating childhood coughs than over-the-counter cough syrup!