Smaller, Lighter Mooncakes Gain Ground in China Ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival

Dragon Media News Desk

Consumers in China are increasingly choosing smaller mooncakes, lower-sugar recipes and simpler packaging for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The traditional pastry, often shared with family during the holiday, is also becoming an everyday snack, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Shops in Taiyuan, in Shanxi Province, are selling mooncakes made with less sugar and a variety of grains. Tan Zhenjun, a producer in Shanxi’s Shenchi County, said his factory once made mooncakes weighing 120 grams each, while demand has now grown for 50- to 80-gram versions. Customers are also increasingly choosing boxes of eight instead of larger boxes of 20, he said.

Producers are changing their recipes as well. The nutrition department of a public hospital in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, has developed mooncakes containing ingredients such as Chinese yam, dried tangerine peel and sesame. Although such products have attracted interest, a “low-sugar” label alone does not establish how much sugar or energy a mooncake contains; consumers need to check its nutritional information.

Elaborate gift boxes remain part of the festival, but simple paper wrapping and smaller packs are gaining popularity. Younger consumers are also eating mooncakes at work or as an afternoon snack. These changes in size, ingredients and use reflect shifting consumer preferences in China.