If you’ve passed through, well, any shopping center or hotel or just any shop that sells food, you’ll have noticed that the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival is once again upon us, as evidenced by the abundance of mooncakes lining the display counters.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the history of the Mid-Autumn festival (also commonly referred to as the Moon Festival), it’s a Chinese holiday during which families celebrate large reunions, with the round, bright moon symbolizing fullness and togetherness. The name was derived from the ancient practice of thanking the autumn full moon for that year’s harvest. In tangent with the meaning behind the moon, mooncakes are more than just delicious pastries, and are meant to symbolize the full-circle coming together of loved ones.

This year, JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok has released a collection of four mooncakes that honors this long and rich history of the Mid-Autumn festival, as well as various other aspects of Chinese culture.

The four distinct flavors are a mixture of traditional and slightly more innovative options, making the complete collection just different enough to stand out from the competition while still including the classics. On the more conventional end, there’s the standard fruit and nuts option. Then, veering towards something a bit more unusual, you have a lotus seeds with salty egg yolk flavor, as well as egg yolk with our beloved Monthong durian. Our favorite, though, is the yuzu and macadamia flavor, which is a delicate balance of tangy and nutty, as well as, from a more cultural perspective, a blend of east meets west.

Photo: JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok

But this cultural infusion doesn’t just stop in the kitchen. The collection is presented in a sophisticated (and, frankly, gorgeous) four-story drawer box embellished with rose gold foil details. In keeping with Chinese tradition, the packaging’s forest green shade symbolizes abundance and harmony. On the front is a seal stamp in the style of a style of window frame commonly found in ancient Chinese architecture. Even once you’ve devoured the cakes themselves, the box acts as a stunning piece of home decor, especially in Chinese households.

As you can tell, this isn’t just your average mooncake range. We especially recommend it as a gift for art and history lovers, and culinary enthusiasts who appreciate fine dining and are always looking for food that tells a deeper story.

JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok’s mooncake collection is available from now until September 10. Each box is priced at B1,288, and comes with eight mooncakes (two of each flavor). You can purchase it in person at JW Marriott’s Man Ho Chinese restaurant, or by phone at +6626567700.

Zhōng qiū kuài lè!