Eight weird mooncakes in Hong Kong you have to try
When it comes to traditional Chinese festivals, Mid-Autumn Fest is one of the biggest, second only to Chinese New Year. And no Mid-Autumn celebration is complete without a mooncake or 10. But a constant stream of lotus seed or egg custard mooncakes can be tiring, so why not try these offbeat offerings for a change? From emoji-themed to vegan, there’s something for everyone.
Eight weird mooncakes in Hong Kong you have to try
Caffé Habitū: Beetroot coffee mooncake
In a joint collaboration with Fairtaste, Hong Kong’s first Fair Trade social enterprise, Caffé Habitū is rolling out a special mooncake made with two Fair Trade ingredients: organic coffee and Guatamalen sugar cane. What’s more, these babies are carefully crafted by a community of women in Kwai Tsing. Aside from the Taiwanese Phoenix mooncake – consisting of pineapple and salted yolk – java heads should look out for the innovative beetroot coffee mooncake, the latest coffee flavour trend. $268 per box
Green Common: Blueberry mixed nuts vegan mooncake
For the third year in a row, this healthy grocery store is bringing out its massively popular vegan mooncake. It comes stuffed with the freshest of blueberries and mixed nuts, including walnut, almond, pumpkin seed, sesame and peanut. While the nuts can be pretty filling, the fruitiness of the blueberries helps balance things out, resulting in a mooncake that’s light but packed with flavour, despite the lack of eggs and dairy. $248 per box.
Golden Leaf: Chinese purple yam coconut and sweet potato mooncake
Conrad’s flagship Cantonese restaurant Golden Leaf has introduced a luxury mini mooncake gift hamper for the first time. Each box comes with four creative flavours including red bean paste with mandarin peel, black sesame paste, purple yam in coconut and charcoal baked sweet potato. Each cake is cooked to perfection to achieve that golden buttery shell. The salted egg, in particular, goes very nicely with the sweetness of the yam and sweet potato. $438 per box
Reign Abalone: Philippe Orrico mini yuzu custard
Despite Mid-Autumn Festival being a traditional Chinese festival, even chefs from acclaimed western restaurants are taking part and joining in the fun. Reign Abalone has invited renowned French chef Philippe Orrico to help create a brand new flavour utilising yuzu and custard. Orrico, who’s currently the executive chef at the Michelin-starred On Dining Kitchen, has merged traditional mooncake and French pastry-making techniques to create a mooncake that’s equally rich and refreshing with this combo. A truly memorable creation. $360 per box
Saint Honore Cake Shop: Poop emoji mooncake
Clearly trying to appeal to the younger crowd, local cake shop chain Saint Honore has decided to roll out a poop emoji-shaped mooncake this Mid-Autumn. As you can imagine, it’s got a chocolate coating with custard fillings. Despite its gimmicky design, it’s still a great custard mooncake. And think of all the shit jokes you can make with your friends as you dig in. $99 per box
Sushi Tsubomi: Wagashi mooncake
High end contemporary Japanese restaurant Sushi Tsubomi has joined forces with renowned wagashi – aka Japanese confectionary – specialist Wakou to debut an exclusive collection of wagashi mooncakes. Well, they call it a mooncake but it looks much more like a dorayaki. Flavour-wise, the cakes come in two flavours: milk with white bean, and matcha green tea. Both options are equally flavourful and highlight their respective ingredients while hitting home with the perfect amount of sweetness. Be sure to savour these with a cup of sencha. $268 per box
Sha Tin 18: Mini Chinese wine chocolate mooncake
Renowned for its homemade ice cream – especially the signature and exclusive Chinese wine chocolate ice cream – Sha Tin 18 has decided to apply its secret recipe to mooncakes this festive occasion. As the name suggests, this baked treat is made with Chinese wine and chocolate. The wine adds a fantastic kick to proceedings and a gentle aftertaste. It’s the perfect goodie to enjoy as you go moongazing. $360 per box
Tak Shing Tea Stall: Pineapple bun-style mooncake
What’s more iconic than a mooncake? Why, pineapple buns of course. Combining the best of these two worlds, Tai Hang cha chaan teng Tak Shing – famous for its bo luo bao – has designed seven new unique flavours of pineapple buns to celebrate Mid-Autumn. Have a go at beetroot and strawberry; carrot and salted egg yolk; green tea and red bean; butterfly pea flower and blueberry; sweet potato; Ovaltine; and the good old fashion custard. What’s great is that Tak Shing only uses natural flavours and colourings. So if you’re tired of the usual flavours, take a bite of these buns instead. $98 per box
And don’t forget to admire the full moon
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