Summary
Loathed by traditionalists, loved by those who don’t want their blood pressure to resemble a cricket score, Hong Kong’s modern mooncakes have become a Mid-Autumn Festival phenomenon.
The Chinese mooncake is traditionally a belt-busting mix of salted egg yolks and sweet lotus paste in a hockey puck-sized pastry. However, after tasting one, you might be surprised to realize that mooncakes are a dessert, and their dense filling can significantly impact your waistline. Consequently, in response to demand from people who prefer lighter options, pastry chefs have created diverse and delightful mooncake flavors. Here are some of our favorites that you’ll find in shops around Hong Kong.
1. Snow Skinned
The original modern mooncake, snow-skinned mooncakes hit the headlines in 1994 when Raffles Hotel in Singapore launched a champagne version of the dessert. Since then, they’ve taken Asia by storm. Chilled rather than baked and named after their translucent skin, these mooncakes are much sweeter than their oily counterparts and come in various fruit flavors.
2. Red Bean Paste
If you want to stay true to the Chinese tradition of mooncakes, red bean paste is the most popular sweet filling in Hong Kong. However, beware of the occasional hardened egg yolk that may sneak in. The many dessert shops around town should be stacked high with red bean paste mooncakes, making them an easy choice for traditionalists.
3. Chocolate
Everyone knows that if you really want to dive into dessert, you should skip the beans, pastes, and fruits and reach for chocolate. Chocolate-covered, chocolate-dipped, and chocolate-stuffed, Hong Kong’s chocolate mooncakes are perfect for those with a sweet tooth and a gym membership to balance it out.
4. Durian
Just like the fruit itself, the durian mooncake packs a pungent punch. Tackle the smell, and you’ll discover one of the best fruit flavors around. This unique mooncake is not for the faint of heart but is beloved by many for its bold taste.
5. Cream Cheese
The mooncake meets the bagel in a delightful twist. While experiments with savory mooncake fillings have not always been successful, cream cheese proves to be the right consistency for a convincing mooncake that balances sweet and savory beautifully.
6. Custard Cream
Taking inspiration from traditional English custard cream biscuits, the custard cream mooncake marries cultures, yielding a delicious filling stuffed into the traditional pastry.
7. Ice Cream
Once just a novelty but now a firm favorite, Haagen Dazs mooncakes have established themselves as a Mid-Autumn Festival must-try. These chocolate-coated, ice cream-stuffed treats can draw long queues during the festival as people seek to enjoy this delightful frozen delicacy.
8. Green Tea
Ideal for those who want to at least pretend their dessert has health benefits, green tea mooncakes are popular with those who can’t quite handle the sweetness of other options. The Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong typically offers a delightful green tea-flavored mooncake.
9. Marshmallow
An absolute hit with kids, marshmallow-stuffed mooncakes usually feature a chocolate or ice cream filling with a soft marshmallow casing. They are best enjoyed freshly warmed, allowing the marshmallow to melt and blend with the chocolate for a heavenly bite.
10. Cheesecake
Somewhere between a mooncake and an egg tart, cheesecake-flavored mooncakes are filled with ricotta, egg, and sugar, offering a soft cake-like crust. You can typically find them in delicious variations such as vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate.
