Which Hong Kong Mooncake Brands Stood Out in the 2020 World Food Quality Evaluation Awards?
When it comes to the Nobel Prize, everyone knows it's the highest academic honor and the most prestigious international award. Similarly, in the food industry, there is a world-class award that commands attention—the World Food Quality Evaluation Awards, often called the 'Food Nobel Prize'. Recently, the World Food Quality Evaluation Congress (Monde Selection) announced the 2020 award winners. Which brands stood out this year?
Founded in 1961, Monde Selection is the oldest and most authoritative international quality research institute in the world. It brings together over 80 internationally renowned experts from various countries, who independently judge products based on their top-tier professional experience. Awards are categorized by product type, with researchers analyzing and comparing aspects such as safety, taste, packaging, and raw materials, then grading them into different quality levels. The final ratings are divided into four tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Grand Gold (the highest honor). The products with the highest quality receive the Grand Gold award. Monde Selection is a highly prestigious award on the international stage.
Although there is still some time until the Mid-Autumn Festival, as the saying goes, 'Hoist your sail before setting out; seize the business opportunity first.' The editor learned that various Hong Kong mooncake brands are already gearing up. Among the mooncake award winners announced by Monde Selection, several brands stood out, receiving this year's Monde Selection Gold and Grand Gold awards.
Among them, the Gold award winners include Maxim's Lava Custard Mooncakes, Wing Wah's Custard Mooncakes, and Heng Heung Lau's Ham Five-Nut Mooncakes. Maxim's, a relatively popular and affordable brand in Hong Kong, sees long queues at its stores every year. Its best-selling Lava Custard Mooncakes have now won the Monde Selection Gold award for five consecutive years.
As for the Grand Gold award, it was also won by a Hong Kong brand—Wang Yue. Although it is a relatively new brand, it has quickly become a 'rising star' in the mooncake world thanks to its strong reputation and quality. Wang Yue's Lava Mooncakes have won this award for two consecutive years, making Wang Yue the only Hong Kong brand to have its lava mooncake products receive the Monde Selection Grand Gold award for two years in a row.
It turns out that Wang Yue's chief pastry master is Chef Yip Wing Wah, the creator of custard mooncakes. He served as the head of the pastry department at the Peninsula Hotel's Gaddi's restaurant for over 30 years. After joining Wang Yue, he created Hong Kong's first Lava Black Sesame Mooncakes—another masterpiece. Chef Yip's only formal apprentice, Michelin two-star master Chef Lai Wing Kuen, also joined Wang Yue last year. Together, the master and apprentice have developed a variety of mooncake flavors, continuously iterating and improving both ingredients and production techniques. As an emerging brand, Wang Yue's Lava Mooncakes surpassing Maxim's to win the Grand Gold award for two consecutive years naturally sparks greater expectations.
While traditional mooncake flavors remain popular year after year, new flavors are constantly emerging, captivating consumers' taste buds. To satisfy the discerning palates of foodies, it takes the endorsement of top-tier world awards to truly stand out. Whether it's the award-winning Maxim's and Heng Heung Lau, or Wang Yue, which earned the top Grand Gold award, earning a Monde Selection world-class award is the best proof of their quality!
