The Mid-Autumn Festival is here—which means it’s mooncakes galore!
The mooncake’s history is one that dates back three thousand years. It has served many purposes, from being a token of celebration to serving as a tool for overthrowing a brutal regime (Yep, there’s the so-called ‘Mooncake Uprising’ during the late Yuan Dynasty, in 1271 – 1368 AD).
Across the hills and valleys of China’s rich history, the beloved pastry has also gone a long way from its humble beginnings. Recent years have witnessed the mooncake transformed into one of the most extravagant (ostentatious even) Mid-Autumn Festival items. Even the packaging has become a fierce battle of which is the most opulent, especially among luxury brands.
If you’re wondering why hotels and luxury establishments have been this fiercely competitive over mooncakes, doing everything to outdo one another, Channel News Asia says that the “mooncake race” is fueled by factors such as branding and diversifying one’s offerings. Premium mooncakes in equally premium packaging can also be used as corporate gifts, not so different from those expensive looking hampers during Christmas.
Whatever the reason is, we can’t deny that there is demand for these luxury mooncakes no matter how insanely expensive their price tags are. Let The POST walk you through some of the fanciest, most over-the-top mooncakes this Mid-Autumn Festival, each of which is a work of art in and of itself.
1. Audemars Piguet
This year, Audemars Piguet has transformed its mooncake box into a “dazzling spectacle” that’s both playful and nostalgic, luxurious and elegant. Shaped like a dollhouse, once you open its doors, you’ll find more than just a mooncake but also a gold-plated full moon and bronze-plated bunnies. If you think it ends there, well, you’re gravely mistaken. In true creative form for which the brand is known, the mooncake box doubles as an charming watch stand and jewelry box.
2. Balmain
Balmain’s mooncake box, meanwhile, whispers of understated elegance with its sleek design, punctuated by a vibrant yellow ribbon stamped with the Balmain logo. Inside is a delectable assortment of snow skin mooncakes that Lifestyle Asia describes as a culinary delight. Simple yet timeless. Who says luxury should always be extravagant?
3. Bulgari
Bulgari is synonymous with luxury, so expect only pure indulgence in their Mid-Autumn Festival special this year which comes in the form of an opulent treasure chest. Opening the lid unveils a posh tea set, complete with a teapot with a gold-plated handle, two dainty tea cups, and two matching plates—all emblazoned with Bulgari’s distinct eight-pointed star. They didn’t forget the star of the show, of course, as underneath all this opulence you’ll find four mouthwatering mooncakes.
4. Celine
Similar to Balmain, Celine opted for subtle luxury this year. Its minimalist mooncake box that comes in auspicious red holds within it four mooncakes, each embossed with the brand’s iconic Triomphe monogram.
5. Dolce and Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana meanwhile opted for a mooncake box (which looks like an extravagant cookie tin can at first glance) that reimagines a classic Chinese chariot. If cute can also be elegant then this is it: a fanciful chariot driven by a bunny coachman, with a teeny-weeny lantern dangling in front. Lift the lid and prepare to be surprised as it transforms into a dainty jewelry box. Oh, it comes with luscious mooncakes, of course.
6. Loewe
Much like D&G, Loewe has drawn inspiration from a Chinese icon, this time a much loved toy. A spinning top called tuo luo is encased in a mooncake box that’s laced not just with luxury but most especially with nostalgia. The box is a wonder in itself, woven from bamboo and beech wood using a traditional weaving technique. What’s inside, meanwhile, is pure joy: a delicately crafted spinning top, a symbol of good fortune for the Chinese, nestled above four exquisite mooncakes.
7. Montblanc
Another luxury brand which found itself inspired by an icon of Chinese culture is Montblanc. For this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, the Hamburg-based brand honors the beloved game of Chinese checkers or tiao qi, albeit with a sleek and modern look, seamlessly blending heritage with luxury. Accompanying this time-honored game inside Montblanc’s mooncake box are two irresistible mooncakes.
8. Prada
Looks like childhood nostalgia has inspired many of our brands this Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Milan-based luxury house is no exception. For its mooncake box this year, the brand pairs six delectable mooncakes with an intricately carved wooden tangram with the iconic Prada logo imprinted on it. The tangram is a puzzle thought to have originated from China in the late 18th century, and is a tricky set of seven geometric shapes. Thoroughly chic with its pink and green pastel colors, Prada’s mooncake box can be a mainstay on your coffee table as you solve the tangram while sipping on your afternoon tea.
