Moon cake producers revert to traditional flavours

Hanoi’s streets are decorated with numerous colourful stalls selling moon cakes in the lead up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on September 19 this year.
Hanoi’s streets are decorated with numerous colourful stalls sellingmoon cakes in the lead up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls onSeptember 19 this year.

Amid the fierce competition, moon cakes baked with traditional flavours still outsell their more modern counterparts.

Hanoians are very particular about their gastronomy, especially inthe way to enjoy moon cakes as, according to them, the Mid-AutumnFestival is an important time when family members gather afterhardworking days.

During the festival, grandparents andtheir children often gather to eat moon cakes and drink tea togetherwhile sharing their daily stories in the warm atmosphere.

This year, many moon cake producers, especially Hanoi-based renownedbrand names such as Hanoi Confectionery JSC, Trang An, Huu Nghi and HaiHa, have reintroduced traditional baked moon cakes following theproduction of a hefty volume of cakes with different and noveltyflavours in previous years.

According to Trinh Sy, GeneralDirector of Trang An, after many years of studying the market, hiscompany has turned its targets to traditional and fresh cakes thisautumn.

He said Trang An moon cakes are inspired by suchcentury-old ingredients as pig’s nape fat, lemon leaves and the extractof grape fruit flowers without the use of preservatives.

Thecompany’s collection this year includes assorted, five-taste, youngrice, lotus seed and coconut, and green bean flavoured moon cakes, saidthe General Director.

With such changes, Trang An hopes toattract greater interest from Hanoians as well as customers from othercities and provinces across the country, Sy added.

HanoiConfectionery JSC continues to focus on traditional moon cakes, whichhave helped earn reputation for the company over the years.

For their special flavours, which still preserve the quintessence ofthe thousand-year-old city, the company’s cakes have attracted crowds ofcustomers to its stalls across Hanoi.

Joining the move,hotels and traditional bakeries such as Bao Phuong on Thuy Khue Street,Ninh Huong on Hang Dieu Street and Gia Thinh on Hang Duong Street havealso paid attention to traditional flavours.

Even five-star hotels such as Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi make moon cakes in the Hanoian style.

This year, despite a slight increase in the cost of ingredients, allmoon cake producers have tried to offer reasonable prices as customerstighten their belts amid economic difficulties. A box of four moon cakescosts an average 200,000 VND (nearly 10 USD). There are also thosepriced double, and even 10 million VND (around 475 USD), which aremainly bought as gifts.

The moon cake market is forecast to get busier in the next few weeks.-VNA

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