Honour the season of mooncake gifting with these stunning sets

Every Mid-Autumn Festival, the celestial moon graces the night sky with its roundest, most radiant form, casting a gentle reminder to Earth’s dwellers of the interconnected, circular bonds that tie us together. Its lessons are echoed in the wholeness we find in gathering with our loved ones, as we give thanks to the enduring cycles of life and connection with round offerings of our own: the mooncake.

This festive season, reap the seeds of relationships sown and grown throughout the year by gifting your friends and family a beautiful bespoke mooncake set. These tasty, intricate delights are works of art in their own right, featuring intricate packaging and flavours that range from mild-mannered, traditional lotus pastes, to bold, locally-inflected profiles that redefine this traditional Chinese dessert.

Mooncake trunk, St. regis

Marilyn was mistaken – crystals are a girl’s best friend.

Marking St. Regis and Swarovski’s second collaboration, this Limited Edition Swarovski® Super Mooncake Trunk is the first-of-its-kind in Southeast Asia. The opulent treat features a faux-leather trunk, embellished with rose gold hardware and 307 Silk and Silk Shimmer Swarovski® crystals, arguably outshining the 6.5” star eight-yolk white lotus mooncake sequestered within.

Those looking for the delicacies to be the star of the unboxing experience should opt for the Classic Mooncake Trunk, which comes with thirst-quenching pairing options such as Da Hong Pao Chinese Tea or the (naughtier) Macallan Rare Cask whisky.

Image credit: marriott.com

rEVERIE, A.CROSS CREATIONS

Indulge in flights of fancy with A.Cross Creations’ gilded butterfly-themed mooncake set.

Reverie is a treat for the eyes before you even open the box, adorned with glimmering butterfly cutouts and embossed floral motifs. What emerges from within this intricate cocoon are four traditional and regionally-inspired flavours: lotus paste, green tea, red bean, and pandan.

With gold foil and embossed textures, Reverie’s hedonistic unpacking experience engages all the senses, culminating in a multi-layered unboxing experience that’s sure to stun.

Image credit: acrosscreations.com

Lunar Treasures Mooncake Collection, four points by sheraton

Memories of family reunions during the Mid-Autumn Festival evoke deep nostalgia and personal sentiment – a feeling that Lady Yi’s Tea House’s Lunar Treasures Mooncake Collection seeks to capture.

Inspired by the work of local artist Alice Chang, the gift box design pays homage to cherished childhood memories and timeless traditions, adorned with lantern motifs and the symbolic phoenix, representing rebirth and new beginnings.

To pay tribute to memories of bygone Mooncake Festivals steeped within a distinctly Southeast Asian culture, the teahouse has added a baked Musang King mooncake to their much-beloved selection, with other delectable flavours including Green Tea, Baked Chocolate, and Lady Yi’s Signature 11 Treasure Tea mooncake.

Image credit: four-points.mariott.com

THE RUMA HOTEL & RESIDENCES MOONCAKE collection 2024

Chinese tradition forms an inseparable union with Malaysian culinary innovation in RuMa’s latest mooncake collection.

Sheathed within the autumnal hue of an austere burgundy box, these intricately designed delicacies are allowed to shine. For those blasé about the taste of plain lotus paste, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a flavour in this collection that doesn’t intrigue and gratify the palate in equal measure.

Present are four must-try flavours familiar to our Malaysian taste buds, transmuted into compact mooncake form; enjoy everything from the sweeter, harmonious selections like Honey Longan, Ondeh, and the decadent Belgian chocolate Callebaut 811, to the veritably eyebrow-raising Nyonya Sambal Hae Bee.

Image credit: theruma.com

MOONLIT MYSTIQUE TRUNK COLLECTION, W KUALA LUMPUR

W Kuala Lumpur boldly sashays into the fray to shake up Mooncake season with its Moonlit Mystique Trunk Collection.

This contemporary showpiece, reminiscent of a retro-modern miniature fridge, breaks away from traditional motifs with its minimalist design and vibrant, splashy hues. Inside, you’ll find an equally modern twist on classic mooncake flavours. This year’s standout mooncake is the snow-skin Musang King variety, which you can savour alongside mooncakes featuring fillings like calamansi mango citrus mousse, lychee peach gelée with strawberry compote, or matcha strawberry mousse.

If you’re tempted to indulge in a tipple, their Moonlit Mystique Mixology Trunk does away with the customary mooncake-tea pairing, opting instead for its spirited paramour: alcohol! Choose between Choya Miniatures or mini bottles of Martell Noblige, accompanied by mixology essentials to stir up some mischief this season.

Image credit: marriott.com

HAI YAN MOONCAKES, THE RITZ-CARLTON LANGKAWI

If decadent, rich mooncake varieties are your kryptonite, prepare to be brought to your knees by Hai Yan at The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi’s artisanal two-piece mooncake selection.

Chef Wang Can Hua who hails from Zhengzhou, China, is the mastermind behind this exclusive offering, available only on the island’s only modern Chinese restaurant. If you’re planning to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival on the coast, these delicacies are a must-try.

From the sweet and savory Salted Egg Custard Mooncake, representing the light of the moon, to the equally enticing Valrhona Chocolate Custard Lava Mooncake, symbolizing the Jade Rabbit’s elixir-crafting mortar – both are worth a delicious detour on your culinary journey.

JADE RABBIT BOX, THE INDIGO HOTEL

The Indigo Hotel opts for a sustainable and eco-conscious philosophy with its packaging this season, presenting a natural wood gift box elegantly adorned with the iconic Jade Rabbit.

Inside, the real delights await: a classic mooncake selection guaranteed to please even the pickiest palate – from fragrant pandan, rich and smooth pure lotus, white lotus, hearty mixed nuts, sweet red bean, and molten chocolate lava.