FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2017

CAPTURE THE MOST COVETED FLAVOURS OF THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

AS SPRING MOON’S LEGENDARY MINI EGG CUSTARD MOONCAKES GO ON SALE

Mooncakes have long been a much-loved highlight of Hong Kong’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, and for connoisseurs of the delicacy there is no substitute for those conjured up by The Peninsula’s Michelin-starred Cantonese fine-dining restaurant, Spring Moon. Available for just a few weeks each year, the highly coveted, limited-edition mini egg custard mooncakes will be available to order through The Peninsula’s website from 21 to 23 August 2017.

First launched in 1986, Spring Moon’s mini egg custard mooncakes raised the bar on this storied confectionary to previously unimagined heights, blending eastern tradition with western culinary techniques to create something new and utterly decadent. Since then, these mooncakes have attained legendary status, making them as sought-after as they are delicious.

The now-world-famous delicacy was the brainchild of Spring Moon’s Dim Sum Chef Yip Wing Wah, who is currently the Dim Sum Ambassador of The Peninsula Hotels. At a time when the most popular sweet Chinese buns were usually filled with lotus or sesame paste, Chef Yip took inspiration from the custard found in western pastries and created his own version of egg custard for Spring Moon’s sweet buns when the restaurant first opened in 1986. An instant hit, the buns were so popular that there was even strong demand for takeaway orders, and they went on to become one of the most sought-after souvenirs for discerning visitors to Hong Kong.

Seeing how popular the egg custard buns were, Chef Yip naturally turned to the egg custard filling when asked to create mooncakes for Spring Moon later that year. Like Chinese buns, mooncakes were typically only available in traditional flavours such as lotus seed paste, sweet beans, five-kernel or jujube paste at that time. Needless to say, Chef Yip’s unique take on this Mid-Autumn tradition proved to be a masterstroke, and the egg custard mooncakes were a runaway success. Today, egg custard is one of the best-selling flavours for mooncakes around the world.

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Deceptively simple in appearance yet incredibly difficult to replicate, Spring Moon’s mini egg custard mooncakes are the result of a combination of expert technique and meticulous attention to detail. Key to getting them just right is the pastry, which should be light and delicate, yet strong enough to withstand the baking process. The filling, meanwhile, is created by way of a traditional recipe that uses rich duck eggs to produce the perfect texture and flavour, although the exact proportions and nature of the ingredients remain a closely guarded secret.

The Spring Moon limited-edition mini egg custard mooncakes will be available for purchase online only and exclusively at http://mooncake.peninsula.com for just three days, from 21 to 23 August 2017. The site will go live at 8:00 am daily, while stocks last. A maximum number of 20 boxes can be purchased per order. Each box contains eight individual, homemade, mini egg custard mooncakes and is priced at HK$ 520.

Mooncake vouchers can be collected from The Peninsula Hong Kong, from 6 September to 3 October 2017. Boxed mooncakes will be available for collection from Spring Moon from 13 September to 4 October 2017. For enquiries, please contact Spring Moon by telephone: +852 2696 6828, by e-mail: , or visit www.peninsula.com.

About Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most eagerly anticipated occasions on the Hong Kong calendar, and a time when local people typically gather together with friends and family to give thanks and pray for good fortune. Held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, the festival falls on 4 October this year. Always coinciding with a full moon, the festival is further illuminated by the brightly coloured lanterns that are used for decoration throughout the city.

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A key element of the festivities, mooncakes are usually served with tea after a meal throughout the period around the festival. The mooncake tradition stems from the 14th-century Yuan Dynasty myth of General Zhu Yuan Chang, who signalled the start of an uprising by hiding political messages in the confectionary and distributing them to his supporters. General Zhu went on to lead the ensuing rebellion and founded the Ming Dynasty.

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About The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (HSH)

Incorporated in 1866 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00045), The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited is the holding company of a Group which is engaged in the ownership, development, and management of prestigious hotels and commercial and residential properties in key locations in Asia, the United States and Europe, as well as the provision of tourism and leisure, club management and other services. The Peninsula Hotels portfolio comprises The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula Shanghai, The Peninsula Beijing, The Peninsula Tokyo, The Peninsula Bangkok, The Peninsula Manila, The Peninsula New York, The Peninsula Chicago, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, and The Peninsula Paris. Projects under development include The Peninsula London and The Peninsula Yangon. The property portfolio of the Group includes The Repulse Bay Complex, The Peak Tower and St. John’s Building in Hong Kong; The Landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 1-5 Grosvenor Place in London, UK, and 21 avenue Kléber in Paris, France. The clubs and services portfolio of the Group includes The Peak Tram in Hong Kong; Thai Country Club in Bangkok, Thailand; Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, California; Peninsula Clubs and Consultancy Services, Peninsula Merchandising, and Tai Pan Laundry in Hong Kong.

For further information, please contact:

Ms Helena Kok

Director of Public Relations

The Peninsula Hong Kong

Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Telephone : +852 2696 6607

Fax : +852 2696 6633

Email :

Website : www.peninsula.com

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