With US$595 truffle and gold leaf mooncakes, Mid-Autumn Festival 2021 is all about luxury for people with money to spend and nowhere to travel in the coronavirus pandemic

Demand for the most extravagant mooncakes, which are often given as gifts, has been intense for years. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has ramped up even more in some places as people seek comfort in tradition.

In Singapore, where few have been able to travel overseas for most of the coronavirus pandemic, people have more money to spend, along with an increased focus on the holiday’s rituals. This year’s festival, which falls on September 21, faces additional challenges with supply shortages related to the pandemic.

According to Justin Tang, managing director at Lao Zi Hao, a wholesaler of sweets that mostly makes mooncakes for hotels, sales are up 30 per cent.

“Because of travel restrictions, mooncakes from neighbouring countries couldn’t come in,” he says of cheaper varieties from China that Singaporeans would often buy; imports are being disrupted by shipping and trucking issues. Tang adds that corporate customers are adding to their initial orders, boosting sales.

At Man Fu Yuan at the InterContinental Singapore hotel, the baked mooncakes sold out early, according to Benjamin Leung, assistant restaurant manager. “Demand is significantly improved, and we could make a substantial amount of revenue,” he says of the rise in mooncake sales compared to 2020.

At the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hong Kong, Alex Huels, director of food and beverages, says sales look to be up by a quarter on pre-pandemic levels. With more people seeking exceptional products, he says, the hotel’s online shop is enjoying “a positive shift and growth in sales”.