Present in the Nile Delta and in Sumer, the honey used to sweeten foods. Several Egyptian papyri mention, the oldest being that said Edwin Smith, dating back over 4500 years.
In addition to its use as food or condiment, it has been used since ancient times to beautify the skin and heal wounds. During the ancient Olympic Games, the athletes drank the honeyed water to regain their strength quickly. Hippocrates (the greatest physician of antiquity, 460/377 BC.)
Stated that the use of honey led to extreme old age, and prescribed for fever, wounds, ulcers and purulent wounds. In ancient times, honey of Narbonne was considered one of the best In ancient Rome, the first beekeepers distinguish two kinds of honey: honey dearest and best and a lower quality of honey obtained after crushing of the hives bee.
From the Middle Ages in China and in Europe it is used to make gingerbread. Until the time of Paracelsus, honey enjoyed high esteem in medicine. It was used mainly as an antiseptic for healing infections and is effective for the treatment of soft warts, pimples infectious boils.
Honey rosemary also called "Honey Narbonne" was one of several constituents of the treacle of the pharmacopoeia western sea in the eighteenth century. During the first and second world wars, it was used to accelerate the healing of wounds of soldiers.
It was also used for pickling fruits and vegetables by combining vinegar and mustard, but also to soften the food. It has allowed the preservation of meat. He also served for the production of mead (honey + water) by fermentation of yeast in honey gives the appearance of the liquor