How Aroma Affects Honey’s Sweetness

Honey has been used as a sweetener for thousands of years. Yet the mechanics of its sweetness have been a mystery.

There has been some research linking the sweetness of fruit with aroma compounds, says Emily Mayhew, assistant professor at Michigan State University’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. “The sugars are obviously contributing to the sweetness of fruits, but also the aromas are playing a really big role,” she says.

She wondered whether the same would ho…