Introduction
Just like many Chinese traditions, mooncakes are deeply rooted in culture. There are many types of mooncakes in China, but most of the Chinese in Singapore are of Hokkien descent and they eat Teochew-style mooncakes. Over the years, traditional mooncakes are still made in the same style and taste as in the past. However, with more exposure to other types of mooncakes, the younger generation of Chinese in Singapore is starting to find traditional mooncakes less appealing. They prefer new and innovative mooncakes, whether in terms of taste or the style of making. Hence, there is a declining demand for traditional mooncakes.
Originally, mooncakes were offerings to the gods, consumed as a way for people to express hopes that their prayers would be answered. Over time, these treats have become synonymous with the festival itself. Nowadays, it’s common for businesses to give mooncakes to clients as a sign of gratitude, and they are also popular gifts among family and friends
Singapore is a multicultural nation where ethnic Chinese constitute 25% of the population, making them the second-largest ethnic group. Rooted deeply in their traditions is the Mooncake Festival, which occurs on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. This festival, celebrated to conclude the harvest season, is a time for giving thanks to the gods for the bounty of the harvest. It is also an occasion for family reunions, with many individuals traveling from urban centers to their ancestral homes to celebrate with loved ones.
Traditional Mooncakes and Their Significance
A very good example would be the celebrative customs and traditions that were relayed from one generation to another. The late Mr. Tham Muk Yuen had mentioned that he has been trying to keep his children and grandchildren to come back to his house for a gathering dinner during the Mooncake Festival. Such practices are becoming rare. The only way to ensure that traditional mooncakes do not disappear in the future would be to modernize it. This would ensure that the significance of the Mooncake Festival would still remain and be widely celebrated not only by the older generations but by those to come.
The significance of mooncakes is the family love. Nowadays, very few people make mooncakes at home as it is very time-consuming and tedious. Most people buy them from commercial bakeries, which may lack the full spectrum of traditional mooncake types. Prices of mooncakes have also been on the rise. The relatively high prices of mooncakes and changes in its tastes have made the younger generations become less interested in the festival and thus the significance and traditions of the Mooncake Festival are gradually being forgotten.
The significance of mooncakes in traditional Chinese culture is heavily related to its symbolism. It was an expression of togetherness among family members, which was almost always on the minds of the Chinese during the Mooncake Festival because the festival is also known as the Reunion Festival. “This is evident in the Chinese word for mooncake, ‘Yue Bing,’ which suggests the meaning of ‘reunion.’ Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival. It is tradition to cut the mooncake into small wedge-shaped pieces and share it among family members as they sit and admire the moon.
Evolving Consumer Preferences and Tastes
For example, Peony Jade restaurant has gone down the route of modernizing the traditional mooncake by producing what they call “snowskin mooncakes”. These modern mooncakes differ from the traditional ones in that the crust is made with glutinous rice flour and then cooked, making the crust similar in texture and appearance to that of a “snowskin”. These mooncakes then have a sweet filling which is then enclosed in the “snowskin” and the whole mooncake is served cold. Peony Jade is looking to capitalize on this creative mooncake that has a radically different taste and style to the traditional mooncake, hoping that it will serve as a means of bridging the generation gap that has resulted in declining mooncake sales.
Changes in consumer tastes have had a direct and profound impact on the strategies and operations of the mooncake industry. Traditionally, mooncakes were core products and major sales drivers of the industry due to their cultural significance. They were often sold in ornate tins decorated with Chinese characters and designs. However, the younger generations of Singaporeans do not have a similar, embedded cultural tie to the consumption of mooncakes. The importance and symbolization of mooncakes are lost on the younger generations of Singaporeans. As a result, many traditional mooncake suppliers have seen sales stagnate and decline. In a bid to rekindle interest in mooncakes among the younger generations of Singaporeans, suppliers have looked to revamp the product by injecting various elements of creativity and innovation.
Innovative Approaches by Singaporean Mooncakes Suppliers
The food and beverage industry is vast in Singapore. Over the years, there have been many newer, more innovative types of food that have been created. Some have been created by the younger generations and some have been created through improvements made on previous generations’ recipes. It can definitely be said that the food industry in Singapore does not lag in the innovation area. This is also the case in the mooncake industry where suppliers are constantly coming up with newer and more innovative approaches to create mooncakes for the new generation of consumers. Gone are the days of consumers wanting traditional mooncakes. With the westernization of foods in Singapore, consumers nowadays much prefer mooncakes with a different twist and variety. It is for this reason that these suppliers have turned to more innovative methods and approaches to improve their mooncakes to cater to the changing taste of time. The following will be a proposal on how mooncake suppliers have used more innovative methods to improve on their mooncake designs for the new generation of consumers.
Conclusion and Future Trends
In conclusion, the era for traditional mooncake is fading off but can still be preserved. The future belongs to the innovators and the risk takers. In order to stay competitive in the market, the suppliers must have a strong passion and creativity in producing new and improved products. We can see that the suppliers have started to produce more varieties of mooncakes to attract consumers. For example, snow skin mooncakes, ice cream mooncakes, custard mooncakes, and many more. This is a good sign and not only satisfies the local consumers but also the foreigners. This indirectly will continue the demand for mooncakes from time to time.
In the midst of rapidly changing tastes in consumers, the mooncake suppliers in Singapore have increasingly moved from the traditional types into more and more innovative and improving their mooncake series. It can be seen from the survey conducted by us, most of our respondents agreed on the changing of tastes and the innovation of the mooncake suppliers throughout the years. The research conducted has proven our hypothesis and reflects the real situation in what is happening in Singapore. The younger generations have led the demand for the changes in mooncake tastes. This indirectly gives pressure to the producers of mooncake to come up with innovative ideas to fulfill their demands.
