Top 7 Most Expensive Mooncakes in the World

The mooncake with the lengthy name Premium Mao Shan Wang Truffle Snowskin Mooncake by the renowned Singaporean bakery Golden Moments is a limited edition released during the 2019 Mid-Autumn Festival. It stands out as one of the most expensive mooncakes globally, requiring customers to place orders weeks in advance. The official retail price for a set of four cakes and accompanying items is $630 (equivalent to 15 million VND).

The cake is adorned with 24K gold and decorated with the distinctive flavor of durian and premium chocolate. Notably, the filling contains rare black truffle mushrooms priced at 80 million VND per kilogram, adding significant value to each cake. The two-tiered box design allows storage for four cakes on the upper level and includes accessories such as plates, knives, forks, a teapot, and teacups for cake enjoyment, all gilded in a classic royal style. Hence, the high price tag for this extravagant treat is understandable.

Among the priciest mooncakes, the mooncake with stingray egg and truffle filling, introduced by pastry chef Vison Wong of The Mira hotel, is priced at over 5.3 million VND for a box of four. A significant pastry in terms of both appearance and flavor. To successfully create this mooncake, chefs meticulously studied the ingredient ratios and ultimately came up with the perfect recipe: 100g of stingray eggs and 1g of truffle.

However, this is not the most expensive mooncake. Nonetheless, as these are extremely luxurious ingredients, they hide a lot of interesting elements within. Wong further mentioned that the purpose of making these mooncakes is not for business. The crucial point is that Wong wants to offer their customers a new experience with their famous mooncakes.

Next on the list is the mooncake with a combination of silky egg custard and abalone filling, a harmonious blend of sweet and savory flavors in each pastry. These mooncakes are among the most expensive in the world, priced at over 5 million VND per package. Originating from Reign Abalone House, a restaurant specializing in abalone delicacies providing a unique culinary experience in Hong Kong, China.

Overall, rare abalone species are carefully selected to produce this type of mooncake, directly imported from South Africa. Additionally, the abalone mooncake is combined with milk, eggs, and black truffle from the Umbria region, Italy, enhancing its luxurious taste. Besides its distinctive flavor, the appearance of the mooncake is also unique and stands out from conventional types, leaving a strong impression from the moment it is unveiled.

Most notably, as of the current mooncake season, this is still the most expensive mooncake globally priced at nearly 30 billion VND and bearing the renowned Häagen-Dazs ice cream brand. Häagen-Dazs is a well-established American ice cream brand founded in 1961 in the Bronx, New York, by the Polish-Jewish couple Reuben and Rose Mattus.

Alongside its unforgettable allure, this standout mooncake box is adorned with gold, silver, and other precious metals. However, the high price tag comes with opulence worthy of its luxurious status. Customers often use this mooncake as a souvenir or collectible item rather than as consumable food. It is frequently ordered as a special gift or acquired as a valuable piece for collections.

In 2017, Malaysia witnessed the creation of its most expensive mooncake to date, priced at around 22 million VND each. Crafted from premium ingredients such as ginseng, turmeric, royal jelly, and various high-quality herbs like lotus seeds, Chinese apples, longan, and more, it aims to provide exceptional health benefits. Therefore, it's not surprising that this mooncake comes with such a hefty price tag.

Moreover, this special mooncake is a fresh handmade delicacy without the use of any preservatives. As a result, it becomes the most luxurious gift, sought after by the elite as a unique and special present. Carefully crafted by hand, preservative-free, this mooncake has a limited shelf life of 3 days and must be pre-ordered 2 days in advance to receive the finished product.

6. Premium Mooncakes at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

When it comes to renowned luxury mooncakes in Vietnam, the VIP box at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi stands out. Uniquely designed with the hotel's iconic facade, this box gathers six traditional flavors that have existed for over 20 years, intertwined with the memories of generations of Hanoians. Each mooncake is meticulously handmade using carefully selected ingredients without any preservatives.

Drawn from traditional Vietnamese children's games on the Mid-Autumn night and aiming to preserve traditional craftsmanship, the mooncake box comes with a unique gift: a paper mask featuring the image of Mr. Tễu, crafted by the hands of the artisan Vũ Thị Thoàn's family in Hưng Yên. Thus, a box of six mooncakes priced at 6.06 million VND comes with both reputation and precision, surely not surprising customers!

7. Exquisite 3D Sculpted Mooncake

This is a highly special mooncake introduced to Vietnamese customers during the 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival with a 3D sculpted wooden-like shape reflecting the folk culture elements of Dong Tao chicken, Northern countryside houses, and more. However, using familiar and simple ingredients like flour and green beans to create a fully finished cake can be intricate and time-consuming, requiring meticulous detailing for each small part.

According to Ms. Duong, the owner of this special mooncake and also a mooncake shop owner in Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, creating a simple model like a house might take 30 minutes to an hour, but for the Dong Tao chicken model, she had to spend two days to complete it. What's even more special is that customers are willing to pay up to 10 million VND for one cake. With the meticulous effort and beautiful appearance of these mooncakes, the price tag is well justified, don't you think?