Mooncakes
By Artemeis
@artemeis (4194)
China
September 8, 2012 9:55am CST
Other than Chinese members here, I think the rest of the members might not know that the Mooncake Festival will fall on the 30th September. It will be a national holiday lasting for a week and like Thanksgiving Day, we will be having a family reunion on this occasion.
As usual, the main highlight on our snacks and dinner tables will be the Mooncakes which traditionally are baked gold brown crusted cakes in paste fillings of lotus paste, red bean paste with additional salted egg yolks, melon seeds or peanuts. These are the traditional mooncakes which are commonly available but with time, confectioneries have produced various new types of mooncakes breaking away from the old tradition and adding new flavors in the process.
The most popular one being the snow skin types with new fillings of chocolate, caramel and some of our favorite flavored ice creams. But, I have to say that this year surprised me when I received a set of Angry Birds Mooncake from my boss. I have to say that this is really far from the traditional mooncake I have had but to use these computer game characters is really something.
The cakes comes in the modern snow skin with 4 flavors - salted caramel truffle, grape pop rock with strawberry ganache, coco pop and Pandan (fragrant leave) with macadamia nuts. I have to say that the cakes are deliciously aromatic but I have a problem, after looking at them, I cannot bear to eat it.
1 person likes this
7 responses
@cmy1004f (381)
• China
8 Sep 12
When I was a child, I took the lantern with my classmates every Mid-Autumn Festival night, once time I own one of my lantern to someone, but the wind is too large make the candle inside the lantern blow then the whole lantern was burnt, I was very depressed at that time because the lantern is good. Today I grown up, and children won't take lanterns walk on street in the Mid-Autumn Festival night too. But to this day, every Mid-Autumn Festival when the moon in the roundest and brightest time, my mun still keep to put the moon cakes and fruit (just like banana, grapefruit etc.) out, she said that was traditional, she call it "worship the moon". Now living in small, balcony into the kitchen for safety and no use candle lanterns, for me is always not childhood so there is the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere.
Mum and me taste more traditional moon cakes have been so to buy a pair of Huang Lianrong, even I don't like the taste of Bai Lianrong, but this year some news about problems of Lianrong so mun decide to buy red bean paste, and less the festive atmosphere.
Anyway, this Mid-Autumn Festival will very happy as long as with family.
@artemeis (4194)
• China
8 Sep 12
Talking about lanterns, I have to mention that they like our traditional mooncakes have progressed to battery operated ones with the various popular cartoon characters like Pokemon. Gone are the days where we are unable to play with the lanterns during unfavorable weather conditions and fire accidents.
Like you, I have to agree that the happiest thing about this festival is the opportunity of having a family reunion. I hope we will have an incident free holiday.
@cmy1004f (381)
• China
9 Sep 12
Time is different, nowadays children's tastes are different with our childhood. To me, compare with the lanterns were painted cartoon, operated by battery, I still like the traditional lanterns pasted by paper. This years I keeping want to buy a kind of lantern, some of them paste as fruit like carambola, watermelons, etc., also paste as animals just like rabbit. It is a pity that the price is too expensive, slightly larger than the cup cost 50 to 60 RMB, and they are not light by candle.
1 person likes this
@blessedsavie (178)
• Philippines
8 Sep 12
That sounds like a great festival. And the flavors of the mooncakes seems so delicious. I haven't tasted a mooncake yet and I'm not sure if we can buy that here in the Philippines. I think I have to search tomorrow and try it.
@natliegleb (5175)
• India
8 Sep 12
i love the taste and aroma of mooncakes and the ingredients are really one of a kind with so delicious fragrance
@artemeis (4194)
• China
9 Sep 12
I believe a lot of cake shops are into the fray of making mooncakes for the coming festival. Otherwise, I think you will need to visit Chinatown in your city to sample and buy some.
If your friend is celebrating this occasion, then I believe you will be able to savor some when she brings it to share in the office. It is Chinese custom to share these delights.
@cmy1004f (381)
• China
18 Sep 12
For the festival more and more close, people began to gather out of each case shop in order to purchase the mooncake ticket, it also look as one of the characteristics of the festival, and I guess you can't see this in Chinatown.
Today I take mooncake taicket to the designated shop change a box of mooncake, we will taste it in the Mid-Autumn Festival.
@wangyabin (17)
• Singapore
9 Sep 12
I love the snow skin mooncakes very much. But as long as the mooncake becomes more fashionable, the price of these pastries increasingly high.
@artemeis (4194)
• China
9 Sep 12
I am more for the traditional ones.
The other one I liked is the deep fried yam mooncakes which is really quite delicious. It is much better than the taro pies from McDonald's.
As for the price, I think it is understandable when the cost of running a business is so high. Also, cakes like this one needs additional for copyright and patents for the designs.
@lovcie (116)
• Philippines
8 Sep 12
i am not a chinese but got friends and colleagues who use to give us these delectable cake. i love them as well and can still remember the history behind these mooncakes as told by ama (have i spelled it right?). it is amazing to know that pastry chefs are really good in giving a fusion on their products to make it more fashionable or modern. :)
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
8 Sep 12
I have to say that the new mooncakes are being made for the taste buds of the new and younger generation. Although, it is necessary for the novelty, I hope that the traditional ones will not be discontinued because they are the best proof of our Chinese tradition.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
20 Sep 12
Mooncakes!!! I do love mooncakes. I think the best mooncake I've tasted was that one given by a Chinese guest. She visited our office and as token of appreciation for our hospitality she gave us mooncakes and we so all enjoyed our share. How I wish I could eat that same kind of mooncake again.
