Market stratification: from low-end to high-end
As every year, popular mooncake brands still lead the market in terms of output. Cake stalls of Kinh Do, Nhu Lan, Bibica or Huu Nghi cover Hanoi, meeting the needs of enjoying at home and giving as small gifts at prices ranging from 60,000 to 200,000 VND each. The products are aimed at customers who prefer convenience, reasonable prices and familiar flavors.
In the mid-range segment, businesses and agencies start ordering gifts from the beginning of August, preferring gift boxes with eye-catching designs, priced from several hundred thousand to over one million VND. This is a product group that meets both aesthetic and budget requirements, suitable for giving to partners or employees.
High-end hotels in the North spend heavily on mooncakes, making the Mid-Autumn Festival market more vibrant.
Meanwhile, the high-end segment has witnessed strong investment from 4-5 star hotels with products of unique and exclusive designs and prices ranging from about one to several million VND. This year, Sheraton Hanoi launched a range of products priced from about 890,000 to 2.3 million VND, while Hanoi Daewoo positioned the Hoa Ca box from nearly one million to more than 1.6 million VND. The competition lies not only in the flavor of the cake but also in the packaging design, cultural story and the value of the gift.
The “healthy” trend and the need for food safety
The clear difference of the 2025 market compared to previous years is the rise of “healthy” cakes. Many brands promote products with reduced sugar, increased proportion of nutritional seeds, combined with natural ingredients such as green tea, blueberries, chia seeds, etc. to meet the trend of “eating well - living well”. Consumers, especially in urban areas, often choose cakes with less sugar or rich in fiber to both preserve the Mid-Autumn flavor and ensure health.
Along with that is the shift from “homemade” cakes to branded cakes. After many inspections and penalties for floating production facilities, buyers increasingly prioritize products that are inspected, have transparent labels and raw material origins. This creates opportunities for large businesses, from industrial to hotel, to strengthen customer confidence with standardized processing procedures and clear disclosure.
The trend of "healthy" mooncakes with brand names and guaranteed quality is on the rise.
When Mid-Autumn Festival gifts become works of art
If in the popular segment, moon cakes are mainly evaluated by price and convenience, then in the high-end market, they are elevated to "works of art" - where cuisine intersects with aesthetics, culture and even memories of the moon season.
This year, Sheraton Hanoi Hotel opened the moon season in the high-end segment very early when launching the collection "Autumn Colors of the Capital" from June 30, 2025. Inspired by the autumn colors of Hanoi with a design simulating traditional blue ceramics and images of the Imperial City, the collection becomes a delicate visual journey, recreating the colors, rhythm of life and typical flavors of the capital when yellow leaves fall on the old streets, when the sky slowly changes seasons.
The prices of the cake boxes range from Lam Thu at 890,000 VND, Lam Kinh and Trang An versions with tea, to Nguyet Quy box combined with imported wine at over 2 million VND... reflecting the diversity in choices and purposes of use.
Mooncake product samples with autumn-inspired designs from Sheraton Hanoi Hotel
Pursuing the same artistic spirit, Sheraton Hanoi West launches the “Nguyet Hoa Cao” collection – the intersection between moonlight and flower colors, between memories and the present. Each cake is likened to a small piece of memory being preserved, while the two gift box designs named “Vong Nguyet” and “Tuong Vien” evoke two contrasting shades: one side is the quiet, profound autumn night; the other side is the atmosphere of reunion, bustling in moments of gathering.
The collection includes 6 flavors from mixed, black sesame with salted egg, lotus with salted egg, red bean with salted egg to new options such as matcha and oolong tea combined with bamboo charcoal, creating variations between familiar and modern.
Sheraton Hanoi West's Nguyet Hoa Cao collection is inspired by the intersection between the moon and flowers.
Meanwhile, Capella Hanoi offers an artistic experience with the limited edition Minh Nguyet Thanh Ca collection, inspired by Ca Tru - an intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam. The design, by architect Bill Bensley, simulates the rhythm, paper fans, and lacquer materials, creating a space reminiscent of the half-high, half-low singing that resounded on the moonlit nights of Thang Long in the past.
Hidden behind the delicate handmade shell are four flavors like four tones of sound: rich and classic salted egg mixture, coconut coffee - green bean as gentle as a spoken song, almond - cranberry bright, full of energy, and red apple - black sesame deep, calm. Not just a cake, the whole gift box is like a harmony connecting cuisine and music, bringing the enjoyer into the world of Ca Tru with their own taste buds.
Mooncake products inspired by Vietnamese ca tru combined with designs by foreign architects bring a breakthrough to the market this year's Mid-Autumn Festival.
Chef Luong Manh Hung at Capella Hanoi shared with Travellive: “Coffee is a very familiar flavor, but when added to this year’s mooncakes, it creates a completely new taste. When enjoyed with tea, that flavor is awakened, both familiar and surprising. The combination of modern and traditional creates a memorable taste experience for each diner.”
The gift box carries the message that enjoying moon cakes is like enjoying traditional ca tru melodies with taste buds.
This year’s moon season, Meliá Hanoi brings the “Nguyet Chieu Dao” collection, inspired by moonlight, grapefruit flowers and a school of goldfish - three symbols imbued with Vietnamese spirit. Luxurious handcrafted box designs such as Thanh Hoa Nguyet Anh, Nguyet Chieu Vu Ngu, Chu Loan Da Nguyet, Song Ngu Vong Nguyet or Nguyet Hoa Lac Thuy all evoke memories of a full moon night in the past with moonlight shining on a small alley and the scent of grapefruit flowers wafting.
The collection combines 3 to 6 cakes with tea or wine, with flavors ranging from traditional mixed, lotus seeds with salted egg, coconut milk with salted egg, apricot, oolong with bamboo charcoal with salted egg to premium abalone, demonstrating the combination of traditional quintessence and contemporary creativity.
Meliá's Nguyet Chieu Dao collection is a fusion of traditional essence and contemporary creativity.
At Hanoi Daewoo, the Floral Reverie collection has a modern and liberal spirit. Lunar Bloom is shaped like a luxurious handbag, with a sophisticated leather strap and a vivid embossed floral surface; the bright orange version evokes the bird of paradise flower in full flight, while the emerald green version is dotted with lilies and soft phalaenopsis orchids. In contrast, Sakura Dream chooses a gentle pastel purple color, a delicate box shape like a jewelry box, highlighted by cherry blossoms blooming under the gilded moonlight, both romantic and sophisticated.
Not only focusing on the form, the flavor is also taken care of by the 5-star pastry chef team. 6 traditional flavors are retained including elegant lotus seeds, fresh blueberries, crunchy five-grain, refreshing green tea, nutritious chia seeds and sweet roasted sesame taro. In addition, Sakura Dream introduces two new flavors for the first time: Coconut milk and shredded coconut pandan leaves - modern variations but still evoke the pure, gentle autumn. Each box of cake is like a sophisticated jewelry box, turning the Mid-Autumn gift into a luxurious thank you.
Daewoo Hotel Hanoi brings exquisite mooncake boxes like jewelry
Each hotel has a different way of telling the story of the moon season, but the common point is the sophistication in design, the sophistication in flavor and the desire to turn a traditional gift into an emotional experience. Mid-Autumn Festival in the high-end segment is therefore not simply about giving a box of mooncakes, but also about conveying the art of living, culture and feelings.
It can be seen that the Northern Mid-Autumn Festival cakes in 2025 are not just seasonal culinary products. The clear stratification from popular to high-end, combined with the trend of "healthy" consumption and the need for food safety, has turned the moon season into a market that reflects aesthetic taste and lifestyle. With cake boxes like Hoa Ca or Minh Nguyet Thanh Ca... the giver not only sends wishes of reunion, but also affirms cultural choices and subtle values in every detail.
