The calendar that drives every mooncake sale
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which lands somewhere between mid-September and early October. Bakeries usually begin selling mooncakes three to six weeks ahead, and the best-known boxes can sell out in the final week. If you are buying gifts for family or business contacts, shop early; the festival is about gathering under a full moon, and giving boxes is a big part of it.
In Vietnamese communities the same holiday is Tết Trung Thu, and bakeries sell bánh nướng (baked) and bánh dẻo (a soft, chewy glutinous rice cake) alongside paper lanterns for children.
Fillings, from classic to modern
The Cantonese-style mooncake is the one most Americans picture: a thin, glossy golden crust made with golden syrup and lye water, pressed in a carved wooden or plastic mold so the top carries characters or a floral pattern. Inside is a dense, sweet paste.
- White or golden lotus seed paste is the prestige filling, smooth and buttery.
- Red bean is earthier and a bit less sweet.
- Salted duck egg yolk is set in the center to represent the moon. Boxes are labeled single yolk, double yolk and so on; the yolk adds a rich, savory note that balances the paste.
- Five kernel (wu ren) mixes nuts and seeds with candied fruit and sometimes cured ham, and it divides opinion.
Snow skin mooncakes use an unbaked glutinous rice dough and are kept chilled, with fillings like custard, durian or mango. Suzhou-style mooncakes have a flaky, layered pastry and may be savory, filled with seasoned pork.
What a box costs and what to check
Single mooncakes typically run about $5 to $15 each depending on size and filling. A tin of four with yolks is often $30 to $70, and premium boxes can cost more. Check the sell-by date printed on the package, look for an intact seal on each cake, and choose a bakery that bakes its own if you want fresher crust. Mooncakes are rich; one cake is traditionally sliced into wedges and shared. Ornate tins and lacquered boxes add to the price, so if the cakes are for your own table, plain trays or individually wrapped singles are usually the better value. Many bakeries also let you mix fillings within a box of four.
Serving and storage
Cut with a sharp knife into four or eight wedges, and serve with hot tea, which cuts the sweetness. Baked mooncakes keep at cool room temperature for about a week or two once opened, longer if sealed, and the crust actually softens and turns shinier a day or two after baking. Snow skin must stay refrigerated and should be eaten within a few days.
