We love honey at The Food Channel and the fact it’s National “I Love Honey Day” gives us the perfect reason to extoll its virtues (and provide some delicious recipes, below).

The ancient Greeks and Romans believed honey was nectar for the gods. According to the National Honey Board an 8,000 year-old cave drawing illustrates the harvest of honey. Today, it’s a popular ingredient and topping for some of our favorite foods.

One-third of the U.S. diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants. Honeybees account for about 80 percent of that. Which is why the National Honey Board allocates 5 percent of its projected revenue each year to bee-health research.

To sweeten National I Love Honey Day, our friends from the National Honey Board have provided four scrumptious recipes for your cooking enjoyment!

• Blueberry Coffeecake
• Honeyed Blueberry Breakfast Blintzes
• Baked Honey Bacon Benedict
• Salted Honey Macchiato