How to spot real vs fake honey — Raffles Makati executive chef

MANILA, Philippines — Like truffle and caviar, honey, for Raffles Makati Executive Chef Daniel Guevara Quintero, is a luxury when it comes to food.

“It's real luxury because honey, for me, is not different from mushroom like a truffle, right? Like an expensive fish or like other items that are maybe super expensive. But a product is a product. There's no product better than the other, in my opinion, as a chef,” he told Philstar.com at a recent interview.

Personally, the chef likes to pour honey into tea or corn. In the hotel, he uses it to balance the saltiness of ham and as condiment for yogurt, granola, sourdough bread with salted butter, berries, pancakes and toasted bread in the breakfast buffet spread.

“You know, a little bit of honey here and there. It's good. And of course, for desserts. I think it has a lot of versatility, honey,” he attested.

Proof to honey’s flexibility was the hotel’s Honeyluxe Afternoon Tea, which was offered month-long for July. The afternoon tea stand had three tiers showcasing the ingenuity of the hotel’s culinary team in infusing dishes with honey: from the delicate Honey Gorgonzola and Arugula Mini-sandwich, to the succulent Honey-Glazed Chicken with Cranberry Jam Mini-Sandwich; and to the creamy Spinach Crepe with a mousse made of honey, goat cheese, and walnuts.

For seafood lovers, there was Smoked Salmon with Honey Dill Cream Cheese on Rye Bread, and for a unique combination of flavors, there were the Prosciutto-Wrapped Honeyed Date Skewers. Pastry delights included Dark Chocolate Honeycomb Pralines, Honey Tahini Macarons, Raspberry Pot de Creme with Honeyed Nuts, Honey Lemon Ginger Mousse, Burnt Butter Honey Profiteroles, and Osmanthus-Infused White Chocolate Honey Tarts.

While afternoon tea remains a quintessential part of the Raffles experience globally, Raffles Makati takes pride in introducing its honey-themed afternoon tea, now in its third year. 

More than just a tradition, the hotel’s use of homegrown honey marks its commitment to sustainability and to sourcing locally as the honey is sourced directly from their own beehives in the hotel. According to Quintero, the hotel’s beehive is as big as a wall in a café and is