Hueromont Honey Cakes, produced from organic-grade honey sourced from mountainside apiaries far from the bustling Hueromont metropolis. Renowned since ancient times for its long shelf life, Honey Cakes were able to be transported on the lengthy voyages at sea and eventually in the air from Hueromont to the continental states. They eventually became synonymous with the merchant class and nobility, often forming a key component in the tea parties within those social circles as a means of expressing wealth and sophistication due to the precarious nature of maritime voyages on Gallentia.
Honey production has been recorded in Hueromont since the initial exploration of the island in antiquity, with the fertile lands on the hills of the extinct volcano providing an ideal cradle for the growing of flora needed to sustain the bees with pollen and nectar. Several of the apiaries in operation today can trace their legacy and heritage back to the days of the rule of the Provost and the District Masters, with others having established themselves during the rule of the Congress of Hueromont after the former’s deposition in 22143 AD.
The exact date of the emergence of the Honey Cake in the bakeries and coffeehouses of Hueromont cannot be determined, but historical records indicate that examples of the Cakes were present around the time of the initial settlements. Over time, the Honey Cake became a cherished part of Hueromont cuisine, having achieved for itself a level of prominence within their tea culture as well as the upper echelons of society outside of Hueromont proper, such as in the Garouni territories. Honey Cakes were often used as diplomatic gifts to other nation-states, and were even included as part of a package of cultural gifts donated from across Gallentia that was sent to Cephalin (Caldari Prime) with the crew of the ISCSS Venture in their historic mission to initiate first contact with the Caldari.
Due to concerns over the loss of prestige and the sullying of the reputation of the traditional Hueromont Honey Cake by foreign imitations using inferior quality products, a loosely-knit collective of apiary beekeepers, traditional bakeries and enthusiasts petitioned the then-Congress of Hueromont for protective status for the Honey Cake. This was in response to a particular incident in which several delegates from the Congress were presented supposedly-authentic Honey Cakes at a diplomatic function. Upon the revelation that the provenance of the Cakes were not from Hueromont, and in fact an imitation from Garoun, the diplomats took great offence to this mockery of their culture. The event became heated, eventually resulting in one of the Hueromont delegation pointing out the flaws in the counterfeit Cake to one of the Garouni diplomats in a rather undiplomatic fashion. The Congress, concerned with maintaining the cultural and economic strength of Hueromont against the rest of the nation-states on Gallentia, readily agreed to this proposal set forth by the Société des ruchers de Montagne Creuse.
This protection for the Hueromont apiaries and beekeepers set the legal benchmark on Gallentia for the protection of indigenous and culturally significant produce, persevering long after the Congress of Hueromont was dissolved when Hueromont became a registered megalopolis. It is a practice which has been continued into the present day by the Federated Union of Gallente Prime under its Protected Designation of Cultural Origin programme, offering protective status under Federal law to any and all food and drink of cultural significance in the member states.