Mooncake with Green Rice Filling - The First Innovation of Its Kind from Lam Yên

“Cốm – the delicate gift of nature – deserves a new place where it can shine in a fuller, brighter way.”

Launched in 2020, Lam Yên’s Mooncake with Green Rice Filling marked the first time cốm xào (stir-fried young rice) was ever used as a filling in a Mid-Autumn mooncake. The idea didn’t come from market calculations—it began simply with a quiet fascination for the green rice fields where young sticky rice grains are born, humble yet fragrant and full of life.

It all begins with young green rice grains

For Lam Yên, cốm is more than an ingredient—it is a childhood memory, a symbol of Hanoi’s autumn.

Its gentle aroma recalls clear autumn days, wandering street vendors, and simple yet elegant treats like xôi cốm and cốm xào. That love sparked a question:

“A precious ingredient like cốm—why should it remain only in traditional dishes? Why couldn’t it become the soul of a new kind of mooncake, one that feels both familiar and modern?”

From early experiments in a small family kitchen—where many batches failed because the ingredient’s “temperament” was not yet understood—Lam Yên gradually found the perfect formula for combining stir-fried young rice with a traditional baked mooncake crust.

The essence of Northern young rice – from the grain to the filling

"Nếp Tú Lệ, dẻo Mường Lò" - “Sticky rice from Tú Lệ, white rice from Mường Lò.”

That old saying became Lam Yên’s guiding compass in the search for pure ingredients from the Northwest.

Tú Lệ young rice was chosen for its tender chew, natural sweetness, and deep aroma of new rice—an honest tribute to the soul of Northern cốm.

Unlike the smooth, finely-mixed fillings in traditional mooncakes, Lam Yên keeps each grain of young rice intact. With every bite, you can feel the plump, chewy grains interwoven with thin, crunchy strands of coconut.

It feels rustic yet captivating—a balance between natural sweetness and a warm, nutty fragrance that gradually unfolds in the mouth.

A harmony where nothing overwhelms the other

Lam Yên’s traditional baked crust is soft and fragrant, with a perfectly balanced thickness and a warm golden-brown color after baking. A gentle bite brings together the tender crust and the chewy young rice filling, creating a subtle harmony of flavors and textures.

The aroma of freshly baked crust mingles with the scent of new rice—as if autumn itself were wrapped inside each mooncake.

And Lam Yên will continue—no matter how many years pass

After five Mid-Autumn seasons, the Mooncake with Green Rice Filling still holds a cherished place in the hearts of mooncake lovers—a pioneering creation that remains steadfast and beloved, even for the most discerning palates.

For Lam Yên, the value lies not in how many cakes are sold, but in the memories and emotional warmth each one brings to those who enjoy it.

Every mooncake is the result of dedication, patience, and a deep love for cốm—and a quiet pride in preserving a piece of Hanoi’s soul in a form that is fresh, refined, and full of emotion.