Which Mooncake Are You?

A lowdown on the classic mooncakes and some of the stranger ones this year.

It's Mid-autumn Festival again;feeling bewildered by the choice you have when you want to buy a nice box of moon cakes? Here is an all-round explanation of the most common moon cakes we can find on the market, to help you make your choice.


Cantonese Moon Cakes

Cantonese moon cakes are the most popular genre in China. You can tell by their thin,smooth skins that re molded into complicated patterns, and their greasiness to the touch. It is said that in 1889, saw the first Cantonese restaurant that made moon cakes,stuffed the cakes with lotus seed paste(莲蓉),and until this day,the lotus seed paste filling remains the most classic choice. Even though this moon cake ends up being very fatty,it is still the best sold kind in China.

Other popular fillings include bean paste(豆沙),nuts(五仁),barbecued pork(叉烧),and shredded coconut(椰丝).

Su Moon Cakes

The Su moon cakes are common in Southern China,especially in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. Compared with the Cantonese mooncakes,they look far less greasy,although are not as delicately made. They are shaped into little buns,and the skin is usually white or golden at the top. Su mooncakes mainly fall into two simple categories: The sweet and the salty. The sweet ones are usually stuffed with roses,osmanthus flowers,sesame,walnuts and sunflower seeds;the salty ones' fillings are usually made with ham,pork,shrimps and pork fat.

Yunan Moon Cakes

The Yunnan moon cake is also called "Yunan ham moon cake". Compared with other mooncakes it has a unique,ethnic flavor,and is especially popular in Yunan and Guizhou provinces. The most authentic Yunan moon cakes' fillings have to be made from Xuanwei ham,a local specialty,which is blended with honey,pork oil,and sugar. Unlike other moon cakes,its skin is hard.

As Kunming,the capital of Yunan province is famed as "the city of flowers", another kind of delicious Yunan moon cakes are flower cakes,which use roses and honey as fillings.

Beijing Moon Cakes

Legend has it that in very ancient times Beijing had a plague. Chang'e,the fairy on the moon,designated her rabbit,whose position was to grind medicine for her,to descend on the earth to cure people of the disease. The rabbit turned into a man,and make two kinds of medicine,one was red and the other white. He cured everyone in the entire town and then returned to the moon. To pay honor to the rabbit,Beijingers made two kinds of moon cakes. One is white with but a small flower on the top,called"自来白";the other has a red ring on its skin,called "自来红".The content is usually made from fruits preserved in sugar,osmanthus flowers,and sesame oil.

New Trends in Moon Cakes

The new inventions in moon cakes in recent years are seemingly never-ending.In recent years,we also find some strange cases,such as Chinese chives mooncake(韭菜月饼)

 

There is also "Golden Voice" moon cake floating around China.It has also not been made clear what's inside.

Fragrant spicy beef anyone? Comes with a recommendation for more garlic.

Anyway,happy moon festival.Forget the fancy wrapped mooncakes and embrace your indulgent side.