There are many legends revolving around the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is said that mooncakes first came about in the Sung Dynasty when the Chinese rebelled against the iron fist of the Mongols. By concealing secret messages within the sweet filling of pastries, they managed to orchestrate the rebellion.
Obviously, mooncakes today carry no political purpose, but if you happen to be down at the annual mooncake fair at Takashimaya, you’ll find they’re still very much capable of stirring the senses within moon cake lovers.
City News braved the hordes to bring you the top ten mooncakes available this year.
1. Bakerzin: Snowskin Sesame Truffle
Its snow skin blackened with bamboo charcoal powder, we love how this elegant little confection goes down … oh so smoothly. Chomp right down to its core and find a nice white chocolate truffle in the middle of the dark, subtly sweet paste. The winner this year, in our opinion.
Rating: 9.5/10
2. The Peninsula: Egg Custard Mooncake
This mooncake comes in at number 2 on our list for being a sheer buttery bliss!
Rating: 9/10
3. TWG: 1837 Tea Mooncakes
We love TWG’s black and white snowskin mooncakes. Their yin and yang look with silver dust twinkling on the skins give off a nice classy look, and the taste is just as good. The white one comes filled with chocolate mousse and a blackcurrant marmalade tea infused core, while the black mooncake is filled with rich praline cream with orange marmalade at its core.
Rating: 9/10
4. Bakerzin: Snowskin Pink Champagne
This little mooncake is ice cream inspired. Although you can’t really taste the champagne in the confection, the super soft and smooth skin makes the taste linger in your mouth for a long time.
Rating: 8.5/10
5. Conrad: Mini Snowskin with Pineapple/ Mango
The exotic fruity fusions are extremely refreshing, much like eating ice cream sorbet in a mooncake.
Rating: 8.5/10
6. Shang Palace
This is as traditional as a moocake gets. You can taste the fine quality of the white lotus paste in this one. Great for those who love their mooncakes neat and traditional.
Rating: 8.5/10
7. Royal China
The white lotus paste comes with a yolk. It has a slight perfumed after taste that stays in
your mouth for a short while, in a very pleasant way.
Rating: 8/10
8. Sheraton
Yet another good old-fashioned, quality lotus paste filled mooncake.
Rating: 7.5/10
9. Tung Lok
Rating: 7.5/10
10. Eater Palace : Yam paste
This Teochew mooncake reminds us of eating of sweet yam dessert, just stuffed into a mooncake instead, and deep fried to crispy perfection.
Rating: 7/10
