Why Honey From 3,000 Years Ago Is Still Edible

In 1922, when archaeologists opened the tomb of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun, they found jewelry, statues, and clay pots. Some of those pots held honey. Three thousand years had passed since they were sealed. The honey inside was still good. In fact, you could have eaten it.

Mwaka wa elfu moja mia tisa ishirini na mbili, wataalamu wa mambo ya kale walipofungua kaburi la mfalme wa Misri Tutankhamun, walikuta vito, sanamu, na vyungu vya udongo. Baadhi ya vyungu hivyo vilikuwa na asali. Miaka elfu tatu ilikuwa imepita tangu vifungwe. Asali iliyokuwa ndani ilikuwa bado nzuri. Kwa kweli, ingeweza kuliwa.

This is not unusual. Honey is one of the only natural foods in the world that does not spoil. Jars of honey from much older sites have also been recovered in places like Georgia, where archaeologists found honey buried with a noblewoman about 5,500 years ago. Still edible. Still sweet.

Hili si jambo la kushangaza. Asali ni mojawapo ya vyakula vya asili duniani visivyoharibika. Vyungu vya asali kutoka maeneo ya kale zaidi vimepatikana pia mahali kama Georgia, ambako wataalamu wa mambo ya kale waligundua asali iliyozikwa pamoja na mwanamke mtukufu takriban miaka elfu tano mia tano iliyopita. Bado inaliwa. Bado tamu.

The reason comes down to chemistry. Bacteria need water to grow, and honey has almost none. Bees take nectar, which is roughly 80 percent water, and reduce it down to about 17 percent water by fanning their wings inside the hive. The result is a thick, dense liquid where nothing can really live.

Sababu inatokana na kemia. Bakteria wanahitaji maji ili kukua, na asali haina maji karibu kabisa. Nyuki huchukua utomvu, ambao ni takriban asilimia themanini maji, na kuupunguza hadi karibu asilimia kumi na saba ya maji kwa kupepea mabawa yao ndani ya mzinga. Matokeo ni kimiminika kizito, kinene ambapo hakuna kinachoweza kuishi kwa kweli.

Honey is also slightly acidic, with a pH around 4. Most bacteria do not like acid. On top of that, bees add a small amount of an enzyme to the nectar that slowly produces hydrogen peroxide, a mild disinfectant. It is the same chemical you can buy at the pharmacy.

Asali pia ina asidi kidogo, yenye kiwango cha pH cha karibu nne. Bakteria wengi hawapendi asidi. Zaidi ya hayo, nyuki huongeza kiasi kidogo cha kimeng'enya kwenye utomvu ambacho polepole hutengeneza hidrojeni peroksidi, dawa dhaifu ya kuua vijidudu. Ni kemikali ile ile unayoweza kuinunua dukani.

So three protections combine: no water, low pH, and a constant trace of peroxide. As long as honey is sealed and dry, it can sit on a shelf, in a cave, or in a tomb almost forever.

Kwa hiyo ulinzi tatu unaungana: kutokuwa na maji, pH ya chini, na kiasi cha peroksidi kinachoendelea kuwepo. Maadamu asali imefungwa vizuri na kavu, inaweza kukaa kwenye rafu, pangoni, au kaburini karibu milele.

If your honey ever crystallizes in the jar, do not throw it out. Warm it gently in a bowl of hot water, and the crystals will dissolve. The honey was never bad. Honey is almost never bad.

Ikiwa asali yako itaganda ndani ya chupa, usiitupe. Ipashe moto kwa upole ndani ya bakuli la maji ya moto, na fuwele zitayeyuka. Asali haikuwahi kuharibika. Asali karibu kamwe haiharibiki.