The annual Mooncake Festival (AKA Moon Festival) is happening this week, with a massive celebration at World Square on Wednesday, September 18.

A time-honoured tradition in Chinese culture, the Mooncake Festival (also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival or simply Moon Festival) was originally conceived to celebrate a successful harvest. Today, however, just about everyone joins in on the lunar celebration, tempted by the occasion’s crumbly symbolic baked good: the humble mooncake.

What is a mooncake?

Step into any Asian bakery around the world, especially during autumn, and you’ll spy rows of boxes with colourful variations of the mooncake, a popular Chinese pastry that’s shaped like a full moon.

As per the many nuances of Chinese culture, the shape is important. The mooncake’s roundness represents completeness, wholeness and family unity, which is why gifting a box of mooncakes is seen as a show of respect, gratitude and generosity.

The hand-held treat is typically golden on the outside, with either a sweet or savoury filling that’s dense and packed full of flavour. There are many variants nowadays, but the traditional mooncake must have at least one egg yolk to represent the full moon.

According to China Daily, mooncake flavours can get so wild that people have started to put things like instant noodles and goose liver inside the biscuits. There’s even a chocolate one with a spicy beef filling.

And while Sydney hasn’t quite caught up with the more out-there flavours, there are plenty of different mooncakes out there for the whole family to enjoy. And part of the fun of shopping around for Sydney’s best mooncakes is seeing all the incredibly elaborate, beautiful packaging that holds these circular bites of wonder.

What’s this thing at World Square about?

If you want to join the official Moon Festival celebration then head along to World Square on Wednesday, September 18 where the precinct springs to life with stallholders selling all types of mooncakes, along with a free film festival, live music and a stunning lantern display.

Where to find the best mooncakes in Sydney

The Langham

One of Sydney’s most elegant luxury hotels has put together a special mooncake set to match the property’s discerning tastes. Anyone who wants a collection of more luxurious mooncakes can grab a beautifully painted box of 6 mooncakes for $113. And while that’s up there in terms of price, the hotel says these special mooncakes are crafted from “the finest ingredients in classic and contemporary flavours.”

Address: 89-113 Kent St, Millers Point NSW 2000

langhamhotels.com

Thaikee IGA

This is basically where everyone goes to stock up on their mooncakes for the season. And it should be your first stop if you really want to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at home or with loved ones. Boxes upon boxes of mooncakes are given their own special section during the run up to September 18. You’ll find every flavour you can think of, from lava custard mooncakes to red bean mooncakes and more. If you want the best and most traditional, look for anything from Wing Wah, a historic Hong Kong cake shop that now ships all over the world.

Address: 9-13 Hay St, Haymarket NSW 2000

iga.com.au

Tong Li

While you’ll find Thaikee IGA in Haymarket, Tong Li is much more widespread. The massive Asian grocer chain can be found in suburbs like Eastgardens and Ashfield, and much like Thaikee, they stock an incredible assortment of mooncakes.

Address: Various locations

Emperor’s Garden Cake & Bakery

Yes, the round-the-clock queue at Emperor’s Garden gets longer when Mid-Autumn Festival rolls around. Sydney’s most popular Asian bakery has been a fixture of Dixon Street since 1979, and while most people come here for their signature cream puffs – one of the best cheap eats in Sydney – they also bake up some of the best mooncakes in town. You’ll find many different shapes and sizes neatly stacked in those glass cabinets.

Address: 75 Dixon St, Haymarket NSW 2000

Jim’s Malaysia

With a few locations around Sydney—the most popular being in Chatswood and The Galeries in the CBD—Jim’s Malaysia is where you should go for all different kinds of hand-rolled mooncakes. Owner Jim Yong spends a considerable amount of time making various versions of the lunar treat, from Teochew-style mooncakes that are more like multi-layered spiral pastries, and Hong Kong-style snowy mooncakes with buttery egg custard.

Locations: Chatswood Chase, Macquarie Centre, The Galeries, Miranda Westfield shopping Centre