Mooncake Frenzy

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival has come and gone, and it was that time of the year again where hoteliers and pastry chefs and old school mooncake shops try to outdo one another with all time favourites and yearly new (sometimes audacious) flavours. While the traditional baked mooncakes remain generally the same combination year after year (lotus paste, red bean paste, five kernel - consists of 5 types of nuts and seeds with the occasional Jin Hua ham). Over time, creativity and the quest for new ways to excite the palate diversified the once humble delicacy. Modern interpretations have run the gamut with flavours such as green bean paste, custard filling, durian paste, chocolate ganache, champagne ganache, bird's nest and even truffle! Here's a recap of what went down this year's season.....

Ritz Carlton's snowskin range has been a personal favourite for many years, with the Green Tea with Salted Egg Yolk being the Numero Uno. Unfortunately, in the heat of the rush and the throngs of crowd, I blindly ordered without realising that I have successfully ordered all plain ones! Sigh. 

Box of 8 minis (this combination) @ $65.30

Pink = Lychee Martine, White = Lotus Paste, Green = Green Tea

Look at AAALLLLLLLLL the many many people!

This was from Fullerton Hotel, Pandan with Gula Melaka Snow Skin. Mooncake with local flavors.

Ritz Carlton's new flavours inspired by their wildly popular Mini Lycheetini Snowskin (Pink) - Berrytini (purple), Mini Appletini (Green), Coffeetini (Brown). $64 for an assorted box of 8 pieces.

Now, this stall caught my eyes, these interesting flavours are the brainchild of two time winner of Asia's Best Pastry Chef at the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, Janice Wong. For those who follow Masterchef Australia, she appeared in an elimination challenge with her very intricate Cassis Plum creation. These snowskin mooncakes are called "Singapore Flavoured Mooncakes". They come in a myriad of colors and in flavours such as Soya Sauce Ginger, Condensed Milk Truffle and Ginger Flower Rojak. A box of the Singapore Flavours costs $65 for a box of 9 minis.

I settled for the "tamer" ones, just so RaRa is willing to try some :)

Goodwood's signature premium offering of Black Thorn Durian Snowskin Mooncake, $54 for a box of 2 and $88 (how auspicious) for a box of 4.

Non traditional items also made an appearance at this year's event at Takashimaya 

Handmade pralines? These were from Grand Hyatt

Queue queue everywhere, even to pay!

And it's a wrap ladies and gents! See you again next year!