Medley of flavours

Fruit mania

Goodwood Park Hotel is renowned for its range of fruity snowskin mooncakes. Hence every year, the hotel introduces fruit-based mooncakes to complement the rest of its snowskin range each year.

Pastry chef Joe Tan says: "Creating new mooncake flavours is always interesting for me because this opportunity only comes once a year. It also challenges me as it is different from creating new pastries in terms of what ingredients can be used and the production process."

Pink guava with passionfruit and rambutan is a very refreshing combination with a trinity of fruits.

"For the new Pink Guava with Passionfruit and Rambutan Snowskin mooncake, I discovered through research and rounds of experimentation that passionfruit enhances the unique natural flavour of pink guava very well, while providing a light aroma. For some juicy texture in each bite, I added rambutan bits as well. This is my personal favourite this year as I spent a lot of time and effort trying to perfect this original mooncake recipe. It is a very unique combination and I really like how all the three fruits complement each other so delicately.

"As the hotel is also well-known for our durian creations, we wanted to offer guests more interesting choices for durian snowskin mooncakes and therefore conceptualised this idea to make mooncakes with different durian varietals. Besides D24 and Mao Shan Wang, we felt that the pulp from D88, Red Prawn and Butter durians also make great durian fillings for the mooncakes in terms of the taste, texture and aroma."

The Limited edition Premium Assorted Durian Snowskin Combo comprising four mooncakes; each with a filling made from the fresh pulp of four types of durian ("Mao Shan Wang", Butter, Red Prawn and D88). Only 1,000 boxes are available for sale at $66. There is even an impressive Durian Snowskin Twin Treasures - mooncakes measure 12cm with D88 and "Mao Shan Wang" where only 500 boxes ($80) are available.

Divine creation

Expect familiar flavours with a touch of originality with Szechuan Court's (Fairmont Singapore) new mooncake flavours - Mango Magnifico and Celestial Crunch.

"As the Mid-Autumn Festival is an occasion that is widely celebrated with families and corporate clients, familiar flavours were incorporated with the use of ingredients that are perennial favourites."

Mango Magnifico is a blend of lotus paste with fresh mangoes and white chocolate. Dim sum Chef Mandy Yeo chose mangoes because its sweetness is well liked by all. The tang of the tropical fruit also complements lotus paste well.

Chef Yeo says: "The Celestial Crunch was created with tradition in mind."

This mooncake will be popular with those who like traditionally baked mixed nuts or five kernel mooncakes (wu ren). Inside you will find an assortment of almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, white sesame and melon seeds which blends well with the subtle sweetness of the white lotus paste.

"As a dim sum chef, innovativeness and attention to details are key in making any exquisite culinary delight, and I get my inspiration from everything that surrounds me. I enjoy immersing myself in the creative process of developing a new recipe and truly appreciate the intricacies of creating a refined mooncake."

Tradition made modern

Executive Chinese Chef Chung Yiu Ming of Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant at Sheraton Towers Singapore personally created three new traditional baked and two mini snowskin mooncake flavours that do not contain artificial flavourings or preservatives.

Li Bai's signature White Lotus Seed Paste with Double Egg Yolks has been a longstanding favourite and many consumers return to Li Bai every year for these exquisitely handcrafted delights by its team of chefs.

"Although some consumers are curious to try out the new and unusual mooncake flavours every year, we have also received feedback that many still prefer the traditional ones which Li Bai is renowned for," he says.

For the adventurous, Chef Chung usually chooses well-liked flavours before concocting his own creations. He experiments with different ingredients to come up with new flavours. This year, he explored natural and wholesome ingredients such as sesame, green tea, wolfberries and black dates with lotus seed paste to heighten the taste and textures of the mooncakes.

As the mixed nuts mooncake is a traditional flavour from his homeland, Hong Kong, Chef Chung would like to share his rendition of it with everyone who has always enjoyed the restaurant's traditional baked mooncakes. He worked in a savoury hint of Iberico Ham to create a palatable ensemble.

He says: "It is an annual challenge to create new flavours that marry innovation and tradition. The ingredients have to complement one another for a well-balanced flavour and texture."

Despite the quirky and unusual flavours that are introduced, Chef Chung believes in focusing on using fresh and good quality ingredients.

Mini goodness

This year, the team at Golden Peony, Conrad Centennial Singapore has given its mooncakes a twist with the Mini baked mooncake with dried barbecued pork (bak kwa) and yolk in white lotus paste by melding together the well-loved bak kwa and the traditional baked mooncake.

Its executive Chinese chef Ku Keung says: "Many may see it as an unlikely combination at first but the sweetness and fragrance from the barbecued meat and that of the white lotus paste actually blend well in the palate, and is in turn nicely enhanced by the aroma of the salted egg yolk. When freshly baked, it is an even more irresistible treat to savour."

Mango with pomelo sago is one of Golden Peony's signature desserts. Chef Ku says that as a mooncake flavour, it has also been very well received.

This year, he made it different by introducing nata de coco to the soft fruity combination of mango and pomelo, adding a contrast in textures to every bite.

He adds that being receptive to new things or new ways of doing them goes a long way. "As a chef, I always believe in staying openminded to possibilities. Each year, I look forward to the Mid-Autumn Festival as a time for innovation; so I prefer to see it as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

"As compared to Hong Kongers who are usually more conservative in taste for traditional festive treats, the Singaporean consumer is generally more receptive to try new flavours. In fact, they have come to expect mooncake innovations with each passing year, and that in turn gives me motivation to never stop experimenting."

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