How long have people know and use his magic power? Who first thought of to treat honey? Like many things, honey was revealed to the world the Ancient Greeks. Well, they must think, gave the mystery of healing treats patrons - Olympic gods...

Greece is a land of myths and legends. According to one of them, bee appeared on earth thanks to the goddess of fertility and agriculture, Demeter. She has dedicated one of his priestesses of the temple, an old woman, Melissa, the secrets of the Gods, but the neighbor found out about it and started to pester Melissa questions. She refused to issue a trusted her secret. From helplessness and anger cruel woman killed the old woman. Learning about the incident, Demeter has punished the criminals, and the remains of his faithful priestess turned in bees, which are scattered around the Ground, and since then wander from flower to flower, collecting pollen and nectar.

O divine!

People in ancient times believed that the secret of the power of immortality and eternal youth, inhabitants of Olympus is in the food and fed the gods, as you know, nectar and ambrosia. Anyone is not known recipe ambrosia established only that warm the honey were pulverized fragrant flowers and herbs. About the taste of that divine dessert we can only guess. But about its miraculous properties mentioned in the same myths and legends. The newborn Zeus, God of the sky, thunder and lightning in charge of the whole world, was fed by the Holy goat Amalthea with milk and honey. Patron of the arts and medicine, the God Apollo, was born seven months, but quickly grew and gained strength due to the fact that eating ambrosia. Poets, philosophers, doctors, philosophers, fearless knights and warriors of the middle Ages is also used honey as a nutritious, delicious product and as a universal remedy.

Today is not like yesterday

Let's return, however, on the national soil. In Russia the honey has been famous since ancient times, it has become part of religious and ritual ceremonies already in XIII century. For example, at the wedding of young necessarily received as a gift a barrel of honey in 5-10 pounds, and it was supposed to eat for a month. Otherwise not see the family happiness. By the way, ate usually easy - honey in Russia loved and consumed in large quantities, they speak about this ancient recipes, the chronicle, and even the monastery inventory... Everyone knows that Mead was the national drink, and stronger it our ancestors drank nothing. It then accustomed to drinking nation foreigners strong drink, however, with the connivance of the Emperor Peter. Bee-keeping - extraction of forest honey was one of the most common fields in Ancient Russia, along with hunting, picking mushrooms and berries. In the beginning of XIX century honey we were on sale everywhere, and varieties was incredible number. Interrupted during the First world war, the industrial production of honey after the revolution practically not resumed. It is very a pity, because the healing properties of its incalculable.

Mead as viagra

Our ancestors, by the way, knew what the power of honey in maintaining health in General, and the "men of power" in particular. They drank Mead not just - drunk pleasure, and confident that drink... viagra. No, of course, the words of this they did not know, but about his sexual energy was concerned. And what we? In the late 1990-ies, sexologists, studying the causes of mass impotence, found that the cause of half of cases impairment of a tiny muscles. Its performance depends on the saturation of organism certain micronutrients. And guess what product found Dr. this set of microelements in full? Correctly - in the honey. And even in such concentration that can only nod understandingly, when you hear that in families in Russia was 10-15 children. All it, honey!

RECIPES

Vishnyak old (Russian cherry honey)

Take:
Honey - 1 kg
Water - 4 liters
Cherry - 2 kg

Prepare:
Honey, cover with water, bring to boil, cook for a short time until it has all does not disperse. Washed pitted cherries to fall asleep in the bottle, pour the cooled boiled honey. To stand in a warm place for several days, covering his mouth with a damp cloth. Then remove the bottle into the cellar, with the neck of a folded piece of canvas. Keep not less than three months.

Mead classic

Take:
Water - 3 liters
Honey - 500 g
Hop cones - 5-6 pc.
Nutmeg, cinnamon to taste
Yeast - 1 tablespoon
Raisins - 50 g

Prepare:
The water to boil, pour it honey and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, that honey is not burnt. As only the vessel will cease to foam mixture, add, hop cones, nutmeg and cinnamon, keep on the heat for another couple of minutes, add the raisins and remove from heat. Tightly close the lid drink, leave to cool to a temperature of 35-40 degrees, then put the yeast and muffle the pan with a blanket or a shawl. From time to time it is necessary to let out products of fermentation, the fermentation process ends after 5-6 days. Mead bottling and put in the refrigerator for a week. And now - enjoy!

Mikhail Suvorov,
candidate of medical science