In Hanoi, Loan, the manager of a mooncake bakery, said pressed mooncakes typically sell less than baked ones. This year, however, sales of salted egg yolk custard and salted egg yolk lotus seed paste mooncakes have doubled, even surpassing baked mooncake sales.

"We deliver wholesale between 500 and 700 mooncakes daily to stores in Hanoi, Bac Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City. Many customers have to wait one to three days for their orders," she said. A 350-gram mooncake sells for 95,000 VND, while a pair costs 170,000 VND.

Ho Chi Minh City has also seen a surge in demand. Quynh Thy, owner of a food store in Tan Hung ward, said each shipment of 100 to 200 pressed mooncakes sells out quickly. Prices range from 125,000 to 330,000 VND depending on the type. "In previous years, pressed mooncakes were a niche item, but this year they're the most popular Mid-Autumn Festival product," she said.

Lotus seed paste mooncake with 4 salted egg yolks. Photo: Provided by interviewee

This surge in popularity is attributed to a new trend on social media. Instead of cutting large slices and enjoying them with tea as is tradition, people are flattening, chilling, and then slicing the mooncakes into smaller pieces. This allows the salted egg yolk to blend with the lotus seed paste, creating a richer, less sweet, and novel flavor. The trend spread rapidly online, with videos garnering millions of views, transforming pressed mooncakes from an obligatory festive treat into a must-try experience.

For larger companies, pressed mooncakes are a standard offering, but this year, sales have been exceptional. Tran Le Nguyen, CEO of KIDO Group, reported that pressed mooncake production has doubled compared to last year thanks to this trend.

"We've achieved 90% of our Mid-Autumn Festival production target in just half the season. Pressed mooncakes are our fastest-growing product line, alongside new flavors like green tea cheese and blueberry cheese," he said. KIDO has also received large orders from businesses, further boosting sales.

A representative from Orion Vina noted that while the market isn't overly active, sales have increased compared to the same period last year. This year, the company is targeting the mid-range segment, with mooncake boxes priced between 300,000 and 500,000 VND. In addition to pressed mooncakes, the company is experimenting with trendy new fillings like sticky rice mung bean and matcha red bean.

Consumers buying mooncakes at a Mid-Autumn Festival stall in District 1. Photo: Thi Ha

While these mooncakes are a hit, not everyone is impressed. Hoang Anh, a resident of An Hoi Tay ward (Ho Chi Minh City), spent almost 600,000 VND on two mooncakes to try the trend but felt "there wasn't much difference, other than the egg yolk being more evenly distributed. The mooncakes also weren't as sweet as traditional pressed mooncakes."

Amidst this market excitement, authorities are warning about food safety risks. At a recent anti-counterfeit goods seminar, Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department, noted that many homemade products are being sold online without proper ingredient labeling, packaging, or hygiene certifications. "Homemade goods should only be for personal consumption. Selling them without proper declarations will result in serious penalties," she said.

The Market Management Department has also seized several batches of smuggled mooncakes in the past month. In mid-September, authorities in Quang Ninh discovered over 360 mooncakes and 124 chestnut and cereal cakes of unknown origin, worth nearly 60 million VND. Earlier, the Lang Son Market Management Department confiscated 420 kg of suspected smuggled mooncake filling.

Authorities advise consumers to purchase mooncakes only from reputable brands and stores with proper labeling and food safety certifications. While social media trends can boost the market, they also bring quality risks if products are from unknown sources.

Thi Ha