If you didn’t know already, Mooncakes are a BIG deal in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and communities all around the world.

A cornerstone of the Mid-Autumn Festival, many people mark this celebration with mooncakes, a treat available for just a few weeks each year.

In 2021, Mid-Autumn Festival is Tuesday, 21 September

and the day following Mid-Autumn Festival is a Public Holiday, Wednesday September 22nd, 2021…

What Is A Mooncake?

A Moon Cake is a treat!

This dense cake is usually made from red bean or lotus seed paste (sweet), and sometimes has the yolk from a salted duck egg in the middle (to resemble the Moon!).

Because it’s so heavy it’s eaten in small wedges with tea. Its crust is a thick pastry – yum.

Here’s a round-up of mooncakes I’ve found in Hong Kong this year!

China Tang

China Tang’s mooncake gift boxes are just my favorite this year.

The pretty pale yellow, with black detailing contains the classic white lotus seed paste with double egg yolk mooncakes, while the smaller pink features mini egg custard mooncakes.

Made with the finest ingredients their gorgeous gift boxes feature China Tang’s classic Chinoiserie motif – love the pink, black and blue!

The Peninsula

Mooncakes from The Peninsula are legendary, limited edition and highly sought after – if you haven’t already procured a box by pre-ordering online then you’re out of luck!

In 1986, the hotel’s Michelin-starred Cantonese fine-dining restaurant ‘Spring Moon’ raised the bar with their mini egg custard mooncakes, blending eastern tradition with western culinary techniques to create something utterly decadent.

Fortnum & Mason

The Cakery

These mooncakes are 100% vegan and free from gluten, dairy, egg, refined sugar, preservatives and artificial coloring.

Duddells

Last year Duddells created this cool illuminated centrepiece, a Mooncake box with an iridescent LED lantern, and eight individually boxed handmade cream custard mooncakes.

The box featured artwork by Marcel Dzama entitled “Blue Moon”, showing the moon with flying bats to symbolize prosperity and luck. This year is a red version you can find here.

More Mooncakes? See:

• Mira Dining

• City Super 

• The W Hong Kong

• Ralph’s, By Ralph Lauren

• Island Shangri-La

• The Intercontinental

• Tycoon Tann

• Pan Pacific (Singapore)

• Bakerzin (Singapore).

The Langham

Very pretty packaging and an assortment of mini mooncakes from The Langham make an appealing treat!

Would love to try their flavors – Custard with Egg Yolk and Kumquat, Red Bean Paste with Mandarin Peel, White Lotus Seed Paste with Egg Yolk…

EightyEight Nails

Beauty salon EightyEight Nails has created this very cute box I would love to get my hands on! Cute bunny stamped on the moon…

Lady M

In collaboration with Netflix, Lady M has created a mooncake lantern gift set inspired by the service’s upcoming animated movie Over The Moon.

The stylish gold and jade lanterns feature intricate, laser-cut images from the film; inside, you’ll find six individually wrapped Lady M mooncakes. The sweet treats come in two flavours – a classic sweet egg custard with the Lady M logo on top, and a chocolate custard version stamped with an image of the mythical moon rabbit.

I hope you have a wonderful Mid-Autumn Festival, however you decide to celebrate – and no matter what you choose to eat!