70,000 Sold Out in 4 Hours... "Mooncakes Behind Bars" Gain Popularity in Taiwan Thanks to Star Chef Inmate

After a Chef Inmate Improved the Recipe
Now an Essential Item for the Mid-Autumn Festival

As the Mid-Autumn Festival, known as Chuseok in Taiwan, approaches, "mooncakes behind bars" produced at a correctional facility have become extremely popular. With 70,000 mooncakes reserved within just four hours of sales opening, orders have been pouring in, and this year, a record-breaking 100,000 mooncakes will be produced.

Mooncakes behind bars produced at the bakery workshop inside Changhua Prison in Taiwan. Taiwan Ministry of Justice Correctional Department, Changhua Prison Facebook

According to recent reports from Taiwan’s Liberty Times Net (LTN) and Now News, pre-sales for the mooncakes behind bars, produced at the bakery workshop inside Changhua Prison, began on August 28.

According to these reports, on the first day of pre-sales, a surge of consumers caused the online reservation system to crash. One citizen reportedly called 600 times in an attempt to place an order but failed and subsequently filed a complaint with the Ministry of Justice.

This year’s mooncakes behind bars total 100,000, marking the largest production ever. On the first day of sales, 70,000 were reserved within four hours, and all reservation slots between September 22 and October 6 have already been filled.

Changhua Prison explained that, due to staffing issues, only two flavors are being produced this year: “egg yolk pastry” and “mung bean cake,” with 550 boxes shipped daily. This year, a box of egg yolk pastries contains 10 pieces and is priced at 410 New Taiwan dollars (about 19,000 Korean won), which is a 10 New Taiwan dollar (about 460 Korean won) increase from last year.

After a Chef Inmate Improved the Recipe... Now an Essential Item for the Mid-Autumn Festival

According to local media, the popularity of mooncakes behind bars began about seven to eight years ago when a star chef, formerly from a famous Taiwanese restaurant and now an inmate, improved the recipe. He reduced the sweetness and adjusted the flavors of the egg yolk and traditional mung bean mooncakes, which received an enthusiastic response from inmates and their families.

Since 2018, when orders from the general public were allowed, word of mouth spread rapidly and the mooncakes have become a must-have item for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Initially, only 100 mooncakes were produced per day, but now production has increased to over 2,500 per day. Locals even say these are "the hardest mooncakes to get in Taiwan."

Map of Taiwanese Prison Mooncakes. Taiwan Ministry of Justice Correctional Department, Changhua Prison Facebook

As mooncakes behind bars became scarce, Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice responded by releasing a "mooncake behind bars map," which showcases the variety of mooncakes produced at correctional institutions nationwide. The map features 22 types of mooncakes, including "Phoenix Pastry" from Taiwan Prison, "Samgu Pastry" from Chiayi Prison, "Purple Sweet Potato Pastry" from Kaohsiung Second Prison, and assorted mooncakes from Pingtung and Nantou Detention Centers.

Changhua Prison’s Deputy Director Cheng Jocheng emphasized, "The purpose of selling these mooncakes is not profit, but to help inmates learn baking and pastry-making skills so they can become self-reliant after release." In fact, one inmate serving a 15-year sentence said, "I had no experience in baking before incarceration, but I became interested and started learning. Now I can make various types of bread and pastries," adding, "After release, I plan to work as a baker or start my own business to become independent."