Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, and with it comes mooncakes of every shape, size and flavor. Lynn Fung takes a bite.

Sick of mooncakes yet? If you grew up in Hong Kong, no doubt you will have been force-fed the sugar-and fat-laden pastries annually as long as you can remember. But with bakeries getting more innovative every mid-autumn festival, even the most jaded might find something to light their lanterns.

Chocolate Treats
If you prefer your sugar without a side of salty yolks, chocolate mooncakes are the way to go. Haagen-Dazs may have started the trend of serving mooncakes as a bona-fide dessert but others have been quick to catch on. Mrs. Fields (Shop 1A, Admiralty Centre, Admiralty, 2707-9363) is offering three different varieties of chocolate mooncakes: double-chocolate, white chocolate and walnut chocolate ($60 each). Don’t get too attached though, with the company filing for bankruptcy recently, this may be the last year to get your hands on some. Agnès b. Délices (Shop 11A, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay, 2577-0338) has an even wider range of “French-style” chocolate mooncakes. Celebrate Le Festivale Lunes with their guava, banana, black sesame or nougat flavoured chocolate mooncakes. $138 for deux, while the Deluxe Lunes gift box (8 cakes) will set you back $488. The Grand Hyatt (1 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai, 2584-7298) is also selling their own chocolate version with their chocolate orange truffle mooncake ($208 for eight mini cakes).

Healthy Options
While the mooncake traditionally contained one salted egg yolk to symbolize the full moon, some egg aficionados have been known to stuff as many as four yolks in there, with the excuse that each yolk represents a different phase of the moon. However, those days are fast waning as people become more health-conscious. Many retailers are now selling “healthy” mooncakes. Agnès b. Fleuriste’s (Shop 110, Pacific Place, Admiralty, 2918-1680) mooncakes are made by Kee Wah, but they’re not the traditional fatty, sugary ones. In order to help customers fit into Agnes B’s slim-cut designs, the florist is selling a low-sugar version in which the sugar substitute, Maltitol, is in place of white lotus seed paste. Made from maltose, it has half the calories as real sugar. Beware though, studies show that excess consumption of Maltitol can cause gastric distress so try not to overindulge. One mooncake comes with a fresh flower arrangement for $200. The Kowloon Shangri-la (64 Mody Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2733-8757) goes one step further, replacing the lotus seed paste with seaweed paste. Though the flavor may be—shall we say—unexpected, at least you can rest assured that this lard-free snack is rich in calcium and magnesium ($238 for a box of four).

Thinking Outside the Mooncake Tin
Since the advent of the Tai Pan Snowy Mooncake, local bakeries have been outdoing themselves thinking up new and original flavors. This year, The Grand Hyatt has created a green tea custard mooncake. We wonder if the antioxidants in the green tea help to neutralize all those calories ($208 for a box of eight minis). The Mandarin Oriental (5 Connaught Rd., Central, 2522-0111) has always been famous for its cake shop, and this year, in addition to plain excellence, they’ve decided to go for innovative, too. Try their mini black date paste and pine seed mooncakes and you’ll probably never look at the little cholesterol discs the same way again. A box of eight minis costs $218.

In need of a cheeky gift for your boss? There’s no better way to express your admiration for your posteriors, uh, superiors than with G.O.D’s (48 Hollywood Rd., Central, 2805-1876) novelty mooncakes. In Cantonese, “moon” is often used as an euphemism for one’s behind, so the G.O.D. jokesters asked Kee Wah to create butt-shaped mooncakes for them. Coming in four shapes, “Full Monty,” “T-Back,” “Mind the Gap” and “Spread My Cheeks,” these rude pastries are guaranteed to elicit a snigger from the five-year-old in all of us.

Charity Cakes
Although the full moon festival is traditionally a time for families to come together and celebrate, it’s also a good time to reflect on those less fortunate. The Peninsula (Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2920-2888) sets a good example. This year, they plan to make over 400,000 mooncakes by hand (about 12,000 every day). For every box sold ($198 for a box of eight), $10 will be donated to charity. The three main beneficiaries are the Make a Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses; the Mary Rose School, which provides schooling for children with mental disabilities; and St. James’ Settlement Funeral Navigation Service, which assists the elderly with funeral preparations.

Golden Oldies
For those new in town or just plain enamored of the traditional lotus seed paste and egg yolk cake, there are four places where you’re guaranteed to find the most authentic mooncakes. First up is Kee Wah (30 Wellington St., Central, 2537-6885). founded in 1938, for many years the company has been the gold standard in mooncakes. Here you’ll find all the traditional favorite fillings such as lotus seeds, white lotus seeds, green beans and mixed nuts. Wing Wah (1 Steward Rd., Wan Chai, 2827-7714), longtime rival to Kee Wah, has been opened since 1950 and sells more than 30 varieties. Maxim’s is believed by many to be even better than the two old mooncake houses and their outlets are conveniently located at most MTR stations. Not just a teahouse, Lin Heung Teahouse (160-164 Wellington St., Central, 2544-4556), also has a small bakery that sells mooncakes this time of year, with their mixed nuts and ham varieties being especially popular.