Enjoying mooncakes on the 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong – history, tradition, flavours, special offer and discount

Sharing mooncakes on the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important traditions in Hong Kong. Being an over 1500-year festival, the Mid-Autumn Day is the second most essential holiday for Chinese people. Similar to western holidays such as e.g. Christmas or Easter, families and friends gather and enjoy some traditional food and customs. Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival (the Moon’s Day) involves e.g. playing lanterns, gazing at the full moon and eating traditional mooncakes.

On the Mid-Autumn Day, the mooncakes, the traditional Chinese pastry, have turned to be the popular bring-along gifts among colleagues, friends and family. Nowadays there are manifold variations, flavours and fillings.

Below is the review on everything you need to know about mooncake, including where to buy the mooncakes in Hong Kong, must-try mooncakes and popular flavours, where to find the best and most famous mooncake brands in Hong Kong, when is the best time to buy mooncakes. Do check out the available Hong Kong mooncakes offer and discount on the platforms such as klook and kkday for 2023 Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival.

What is mooncake? The tradition of mooncakes and why they are important

What is a mooncake?

A mooncake is a traditional Chinese pastry consumed mainly during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Some consider them as snack or dessert. The mooncake contains either sweet or savoury filling and traditionally comes in a round shape to represent the shape of the moon. However, there are also square ones.

The typical and traditional Hong Kong style mooncake has a filling (e.g. red bean paste, lotus seed paste, etc.) wrapped around one or two salty duck egg yolks (sometimes can have three yolks) and are golden-brown baked.

The traditional mooncake is formed in wooden moulds (e.g. similar to antique cookie or butter moulds in western world). The moulds typically have the name of the fillings and the bakery brand engraved. This unique trademark allowed customers easily to identify the flavour and brand.

The tradition of eating mooncakes and why they are important

Traditionally, the mooncake is consumed and shared with friends and families on the day when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. Typically, the mooncake is sliced up in small wedges and then shared. So each of the family member can have a taste of it.

Similar to the Lunar New Year Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival where the whole family reunites and gathers. The full moon represents this reunion. Hence, the mooncake is a symbol of reunion and happiness.

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Must-try mooncakes or most popular flavours

After thousand year development, nowadays the most popular traditional mooncake fillings still are lotus seed paste, sweet red bean paste and five kernels (fillings consists of 5 types of mixed nuts and seeds) with or without salty egg yolk. These flavours you can easily get from the top popular local mooncake brands.

However, taste and needs change over time. Thus, the mooncake producers also created many delicious but non-traditional mooncake styles and flavours for the market. Nowadays, you can find miniature mooncakes and even categories for the health-conscious consumer (e.g. low sugar, vegan or filled with yogurt, jelly or fat free-free ice cream).

The contemporary non-traditional style mooncakes fillings are especially popular among the younger generations. The fillings range from e.g. ice-cream, tiramisu, lava custard, coffee, chocolate, taro, pineapple, ginger pomelo, durian, green tea, matcha to ginseng, abalone, caviar, truffles, whisky or even ham.

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Which are the most popular local mooncake brands in Hong Kong? And their best 2023 mooncakes offer and discount

When you ask locals about where to find the best traditional and most famous mooncakes, you will most likely get the following bakeries as an answer.

All of them have a long history as bakery producers in Hong Kong since 1930s-1950s. If you are looking for the traditional mooncakes, they are one of the best options. Right now, all of them have special early bird sales and mooncakes offer and discount for 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival. Check out whether you find something appealing.

1. Wing Wah 榮華餅家 – 43% discount

Found in 1950, Wing Wah is most renowned for their mooncakes. Their traditional White Lotus Seed Paste fillings with multi egg yolks is one of the most purchased mooncakes in Hong Kong.

This year, they provide pre-order with 43% extra discount on White Lotus Seed Paste, Lotus Seed Paste and Icy Fantasy Icy Mooncakes set.

2. Kee Wah Bakery 奇華餅家

Kee Wah Bakery is a chain bakery company in Hong Kong with over 80-year history. It is famous for the Chinese wedding cake making and traditional mooncakes.

3. Maxim’s Cakes 美心西餅 – 35% discount

Found in 1956 in Hong Kong, Maxim is nowadays a large cater corporation owned over 1000 outlets in the world. Their business covers from fast food chains, luxury restaurants, Starbucks to bakeries. This year, Maxim’s Cakes provides over 10 options of mooncake discounts, from traditional lotus seed paste flavour, mixed nuts mooncake to lava custard mooncake. All mooncake sets can enjoy 35% off via online purchasing.

4. Hang Heung 恆香老餅家 – up to 50% discount

Hang Heung Cake Shop has their factory in Yuen Long New Territories. They are famous for the wife cake (老婆餅) and produce over 25,000 pieces everyday.

Their 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake early bird promotion lasts till the end of August (31 Aug 2023). The available products include white lotus seed paste, custard pastry, lava custard, taro mochi pastry, red bean pastry, matcha black sesame paste, as well as the mooncake with Chinese ham and assorted nuts. Customers can enjoy up to 50% discount on purchase.

5. Taipan 大班 – up to 43% discount

Instead of the traditional mooncake, Tai Pan provides many discounts on the icy/snowy mooncakes with different fillings. No matter it’s the Bird’s nest, mango, durian, or mung bean, there should be one for you. The promotion provides up to 43% discount.

6. Tai Tung Bakery 大同老餅家

Tai Tung Bakery is another famous bakery brand from Yuen Long district. Found in 1943, it is the oldest bakery store in Yuen Long. The traditional five nuts mooncake is their signature.

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Popular modern non-traditional mooncakes and available 2023 mooncakes offer and discount

In terms of flavours, the traditional mooncake contains the salty (duck) egg yolk(s) in the centre of the filling (e.g. red bean paste, lotus seed paste, etc.) and are baked into a perfect golden-brown cookie colour.

However, tastes and preferences changed over years. In recent years the mooncake has evolved. You can say they have been modernised. These modern mooncakes become smaller, different skins (Icy Mooncake/Snowy Mooncake) and the variety of fillings (red bean pasty, durian, mochi, even ice cream).

Snowy Mooncake / Icy Mooncake

In Hong Kong, one of the most popular non-traditional or modern mooncakes is the Snowy Mooncakes. They are also known as snow skin, ice skins or crystal mooncakes. Unlike the traditional ones, these with snow skin are not baked in ovens and need to be stored in fridge.

The outer white snowy dough is made of frozen glutinous rice. Therefore, the snowy types are best consumed cold. The taste is similar to mochi.

The snow skin mooncakes have a wide variety of inner fillings and flavours and range from e.g. from green tea, chocolate, coffee, sesame, mango to the exotic durian fruit.

In 2023, there are many companies and brands provide snowy mooncakes offer and discount.

1. Maxim – 35% off for all the snowy mooncake sets

Snowy Premium Delicacies Gift Box, Snowy Polar Lights Gift Box
Snowy Summer Fruits Gift Box, Snowy Musang King Durian Gift Box

2. Arome Bakery – 35% off for all the snowy mooncake sets

Besides traditional skin, Arome Bakery also offers cute rabbit snowy mooncakes this year. All sets are on promotion sale with up to 35% discount.

3. Wing Wah – 44% off for Icy Fantasy Icy Mooncakes

Wing Wah is famous for the traditional mooncake, but their Icy Fantasy Mooncake set is also appealing. Each box has nice icy mooncakes with five different flavours, including mango, mung bean past, blueberry, strawberry, black sesame and dark chocolate. Purchase online now and enjoy 44% discount.

4. Taipan – up to 43% discount

Taipan offers 6 different snowy mooncake sets this year. You can enjoy up to 43% discount when purchasing online.

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Ice-cream mooncake selections

Another popular trend in recent years has been ice-cream mooncakes. The beautiful themed gift boxes from famous ice-cream brand Häagen-Dazs are a popular gift for family, friends, clients and coworkers.

In 2023, Häagen-Dazs offers 9 ice-cream mooncake packages with up to 41% discount.

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Durian mooncakes (traditional and non-traditional)

In recent years, durian mooncake turns to be one of the popular selections on the Mid-Autumn Day. Durian fillings can be wrapped with either the traditional mooncake skin or the snowy skin.

In 2023, besides the previous mentioned Maxim’s Cakes, Tai Pan and Wing Wah, another popular bakery brand Imperial Patisserie also offer Durian mooncake set promotion at 11% off.

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Luxury Mooncakes & 2023 mooncake discount and offer from luxury hotels

Mooncakes are also a popular gift and are presented to family and clients. There are plenty of specialty luxury mooncakes available in Hong Kong. You can find everything ranging from extravagant fillings (e.g. caviar, whisky, abalone, etc.) to Michelin starred options.

Mooncakes from the famous 5-star luxury hotels are especially popular among locals. They are a popular bring-along gift and sell out quickly.

In 2023, luxury hotels such as the Peninsula Hotel, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Rosewood Hotel, Langham Hotel, Four Seasons, St. Regis or Mira Hotel have launched their exquisite mooncake gift sets.

1. The Ritz-Carlton – M+’s Exclusive Madame Song Inspired Lava Egg Custard with Kumquat Mooncake Set (29% off)

   Get discounts from klook

2. Mandarin Oriental – up to 15% off
   White Lotus with Two Yolks Mooncake, Mini Assorted Mooncake
   Mini White Lotus with Yolk Mooncake, Mini Golden Lotus with Yolk Mooncake
   Mini Egg Custard Mooncake

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3. The Peninsula Hong Kong
   Spring Moon Mini Egg Custard Mooncake

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   Spring Moon Mini Egg Custard Mooncakes from The Peninsula

4. W Hotel – Radiant Harvest Mooncake offered by Sing Yin Cantonese Dining（25% off)

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5. JW Marriott Hotel – Man Ho Mini Mooncakes offered by Michelin star restaurant Man Ho（10% off)

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   Man Ho Mini Mooncakes with Red Dates and Rose from JW Marriott

6. Cordis Hotel – Mini Custard with Egg Yolk Mooncake offered by Michelin star restaurant Ming Court（25% off)

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7. InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong – offered by Michelin star restaurant Hoi King Heen (14% off)
   Whisky Chocolate Mooncake, Mini Egg Custard Mooncake
   White Lotus Seed Purée Mooncake with Double Egg Yolk

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   Whisky Chocolate Mooncake from InterContinental Grand Stanford

8. Conrad Hong Kong – Golden Leaf Gourmet Mooncake (15% off)
   Flavours: Mini Creamed Egg Yolk, Grand Assorted, White Lotus Seed Paste with Egg Yolk

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9. Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong – Lee Keung Kee Egg Waffles (18% off)

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10. The Langham Hong Kong – Mini Egg Custard Mooncake offered by three Michelin-starrd restaurant T’ang Court (27% off)

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    Mini Egg Custard Mooncake set from The Langham Hong Kong

11. Mira Hong Kong – Bombshell Mid-Autumn Collection (31% off)

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    Lotus Luna Bomb from The Mira Hong Kong

12. The Upper House – Mooncake Box with Salisterra dining voucher (15% off)

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Cute themed mooncakes in lovely gift packages

Many mooncake bakeries launch special themed mooncake designs and cute packages for the young and young-at-hearts ones.

Besides, this year the famous bakery chain Kingsley Cafe offers cute gift mooncake sets including characters Mina no Tabo, Monchhichi, Kerokerokeroppi, Donald Duck, Stitch. Check the available promotions at klook.

It is not uncommon to find cute cartoon themed mooncake with e.g. Sanrio characters (Hello Kitty, My Melody, etc.), Disney characters, Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, LINE Friends, BT21, Toy Story, Minions, Miffy, Star Wars, or some local comic and cartoon characters such as Din-Dong.

Usually, theses special crossover promotions sell out very quick. So, don’t hesitate too long or they are gone.

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Best places and where to buy mooncakes in Hong Kong?

If you just want to try a mooncake, just go to one of the famous mooncake bakeries mentioned above. Moreover, you can find several outlets of Maxim’s Cake shops, Kee Wah Bakery and Wing Wah throughout Hong Kong. They usually have a large selection of mooncake gift boxes. You might even have a chance to get one of the themed or limited edition box sets.

In addition, you can take a look at Hong Kong’s supermarket. They use to stock the most popular local brands just before the upcoming holidays.

For the luxury and special limited themed edition mooncake boxes, you usually have to pre-order them. Get the early bird discount from online booking while the promotion is still available.

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When can you get mooncakes in Hong Kong? – What time of the year will you find mooncakes

Mooncakes are a seasonal food and available only around the Mid-Autumn Festival. Usually, the sale starts two to three months prior to the festival. Typically, locals try to order them as early as possible to get some early bird offer and discount for the most popular brands.

Can you get them after the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong has a very unique shopping environment. Unlike other cities or countries, where you might find and get discount after the holidays for specialty food items that haven’t sold (e.g. Easter eggs or Christmas chocolates), you will hardly find any mooncakes or discounted items once the Mid-Autumn Festival is over. So, having said that you should try to secure your favourite mooncake brand as soon as possible.

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Best prices and where to get special offer and discount for mooncakes in Hong Kong

As mentioned above, Hong Kong has a very unique shopping environment. Locals typically order the mooncake as soon as possible. That has two reasons. First, you secure the brand, taste and flavour you like and prefer. You don’t want to end up empty handed on one of the most important days of the year. Second, and most importantly, the earlier you order the higher discount you can get.

For buying or ordering the mooncakes, respectively, you have several options. First, you order with the bakery or their outlet shop or internet shop directly. Alternatively, you take advantage of the early bird offers from klook or kkday.