As the Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner, the market for mooncakes is booming. Beautifully-packaged mooncakes with different flavors are prominently displayed in supermarkets and people carrying them can be seen everywhere on the streets.

Adding a festive atmosphere, this year's mooncakes are more creative in both packaging and taste. New flavors keeps popping up, some of which are highly acclaimed, others described as "hard to swallow.”

What are the flavors?

Mooncakes with artificial meat are this festival hot topic. China's first domestically-reared mock pork stirred a heated debate online.

Artificial meat is vegan, replacing animal protein with plant protein such as soy, peas, and algae to mimic the taste of real meat. The mock pork with “zero cholesterol” is said to be healthier for those with high blood pressure.

Shanghai First Food Chain followed up last year’s shrimp roe and shrimp mooncakes, this year, mooncakes with cheese clam and cheese scallop flavors are hitting the shelves. Fifteen yuan per piece, mooncakes with such fillings are more expensive than traditional version which cost around five yuan. “Surprisingly delicious,” some say.

Two time-honored shops in Shanghai offer spicy craw fish with cheese flavor, and mooncakes with shiitake nuts.

According to the data released by Meituan (one of the biggest online ordering platforms in China), mooncakes with new flavors are drawing great attention. Roasted duck, durian, abalone, or even some traditional Chinese dishes like steamed pork with preserved vegetable are available.

Faced with a wide choice of mooncakes, people have their preferences. Overall, there are basically two groups: traditional mooncake lovers and modern mooncake fans.

CGTN did street interviews and found out that traditional mooncakes with flavors like five-kernel, ham, and egg-yolk have a steady following, especially the “five-kernel” (almond, walnut, sesame, melon seeds, pine nuts), which is the most beloved flavor among the interviewees.

“I find flavors like wasabi unacceptable,” said a high school student, “I only like ham mooncake, so does my mother.”

“I prefer the egg-yolk flavor, that sweet kind,” said a young office lady.

A symbol of reunion

Mooncakes evolved from pure holiday food into a "super star" in the gift market. According to JD Big Data Research Institute, two weeks ahead of the Mid-Autumn festival, mooncake sales in China was 1.5 times that of the same period last year.

In the interviews, we learned that mooncakes are so popular because of not only their delicious taste, but also their symbol of family reunion. The Mid-Autumn Festival is not complete without mooncakes.

Many people see eating this delicacy on such a festive occasion as a cultural legacy. “I definitely hope my boy can carry on this tradition,” said a mother.

“Modern people live more and more impetuous, we need this tradition, we need this sense of ceremony,” an elderly shared with CGTN.

Graphic designed by Qu Bo

Video edited by Zeng Hongen