Fall ushers in a range of seasonal treats, from apple cider doughnuts and pumpkin spice Oreos to sweet potato pie, and it also summons in the omnipresent mooncake for many Asians and Asian Americans.
Mooncakes are the traditional meal of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a Chinese cultural and religious festival held around the autumn harvest. The pastries are consumed around the time when the moon is said to be at its clearest and fullest. They’re traditionally given as gifts to family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and staff at family gatherings and public events.
Mooncake stores in Malaysia have been constantly creating unique sorts of mooncakes since time immemorial, much like there is a range of mooncake emoji designs. Aside from the conventional one that you see at this time of year, there are a variety of other styles to choose from, some of which you may have seen before.
What Are Mooncakes, Exactly?
Mooncakes are a sweet or savory snack or dessert pastry with a filling. They’re usually round to represent the moon’s form, although they can also be angular. Traditional Chinese mooncakes, particularly Cantonese-style mooncakes, are baked till golden brown then shaped or stamped with the filling’s title.
Sweet bean paste, lotus seed paste, or red date (jujube) paste are common sweet fillings that encase one or more salted and cured duck egg yolks. Ham, Chinese sausage, roast pig, and radish are all typical savory fillings. Mixed nuts and dried fruit is another typical filler. A layer of dough made with cake flour encases the fillings.
When it comes to these decadent sweets, the jury appears to be split. “I think mooncakes are a really divisive meal. You either adore or despise them. However, I do not believe that the classic mooncake will ever become extinct. It will still have a place in the world. They’ve been around a long time.
Mooncake flavors and types have changed over time and now come in a variety of assortments, including alcoholic infusions, ice cream, and jellies, as well as red velvet, rum raisin, and tiramisu. Snow skin mooncakes, prepared with a mochi-like dough and served chilled, are another famous substitute for baked mooncakes.
Here are a few common variations, you can try these mooncakes in Malaysia or Singapore:
Mooncake From Shanghai.
Let’s start with the most common variety, which has a well-known flavor. Shanghai mooncakes are usually spherical and covered in a shortbread-like pastry shell. The crust is rich, buttery, and crumbly, with an extra smear of butter on the crust surface to give it a silky texture and golden sheen, almost identical to the Chinese heong peng pastry in both appeal and scent.
Contact Info:
Address: No.8, Unit UG-7, Level Upper Ground The Sphere No 1, Avenue 1 Bangsar South City, Jalan Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala Lumpur
Hours: Closed ⋅ Opens 7 AM
Phone: 03-2732 0821
Website: http://www.barcookbakery.com/
Mooncake With Jelly.
It’s exactly what it says on the label. The mooncake filling is encased in a wobbling jelly ‘crust,’ which is occasionally flavored with pandan for a hint of sweetness. Alternatively, the mooncake can be constructed entirely of jelly, including the filling. Jelly mooncakes are appealing because they may be made in a variety of colors and fruity flavors.
If you’re seeking these mooncakes in Klang valley you can check these out at CakeRush MY:
Contact Info:
Telephone: +60 33099 4380
Email: [email protected]
Mooncake With Snow Skin
Doesn’t it sound quite posh? Here’s some backstory about this opulently titled variety. It dates back to the mid-nineteenth century when health-conscious people thought the traditional mooncake contained too much sugar and oil. This version was invented by Hong Kong bakers as a guilt-free alternative. While traditional mooncakes are typically filled with rich salted egg yolk and lotus seed or red bean paste, this one has lighter ingredients like fruit, sesame, coffee, and cheese.
This mooncake has a non-baked glutinous rice crust and must be kept refrigerated (like Japanese mochi ice cream), as opposed to the classic version with an oven-baked shell if you want a more refreshing bite.
Contact Info:
Oversea Group of Companies
HAEWAYTIAN FOOD INDUSTRIES SDN BHD
D-3A-1, Seri Gembira Avenue, Jalan Senang Ria, Taman Gembira, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Telephone:016-2042048
03-7972 9683
Email: [email protected]
Mooncake In A Spiral.
This mooncake, also termed as Teochew mooncake, takes a different approach to the typical mooncake design. Spiral mooncakes are notable for their flaky pastry exterior and are typically filled with yam. You can get these from wonderful bakeries Sdn Bhd.
Contact Info:
KEDAI KEK WONDERFUL SDN.BHD (124199P)
No. 28, Jalan Suria Park 2
Suria Park
Kawasan Perindustrian Kg. Baru Balakong
56000 Cheras.
Telephone: 03-8961 9099 | 03-8961 0399
Email: [email protected]
Aeon Rawang [Inside LaBoheme Bakery]
GF, No. 1, Kompleks Beli-belah AEON Rawang, Persiaran Anggun, Taman Anggun 48000 Rawang , Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Mooncake Made With Durian.
If no one has produced a durian-flavored version of a delicacy yet, has it genuinely impacted Southeast Asians? We’ll never know for sure. We do know, however, that durian mooncakes are exploding in popularity in Malaysia and Singapore. We’re not grumbling about bakers integrating creamy purée from the King of Fruits with mooncakes. You can get these from Milky Way Food Industries Sdn Bhd.
Contact Info:
Shop
Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
+6012-648 9910 (SMS, WhatsApp, Call)
+603-7931 4097
Operating Hours :
Mon-Sat (11:00am-6:30pm)
Sun (2:00pm-6:00pm)
Mooncake with Bubble Tea.
You knew it was coming, right? It’s up to Singaporeans to bring together modern and traditional Chinese cuisine. The lotus seed paste of the bubble tea mooncake is flavored with premium tea and comes in milk tea and matcha green tea flavors. When it comes to bubble tea, these people don’t mess around when it comes to chewy pearls in the middle of a bite.
You can try these from Cake by Su
Contact Info:
Address: N5-2, Pusat Perdagangan Bandar, Jalan Persiaran Jalil 3, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur
Menu: instagram.com
Order: bit.ly
Phone: 012-931 8542
Start Your Mooncake Adventure Now!
It appears that you’re ready to dive into the wide and eternal realm of mooncakes.
We hope we’ve provided you with some tools and recipes to help you tackle mooncake recipes at home, but if you’re still nervous, don’t be! Many people still prefer to buy mooncakes from Asian bakeries to avoid the difficulty of the process and the scarcity of ingredients in some areas. Furthermore, it is always a good idea to support your local bakeries for mooncakes in Malaysia. When shopping for mooncakes, seek high-quality ingredients and environmentally friendly packaging.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Regarding Mooncake
You can find mooncakes in some shops. However, not as much as when you visit the mooncake shop during the Mid Autumn Festival.
Mooncakes should be stored in a dry place. The reason is, moon cakes should not be stored in a humid state at all.
Yes, almost all mooncakes are high in calories, fat and sugar. But now you can find several sellers who provide “low-sugar” products.
This is because mooncakes are round, and symbolize roundness and wholeness. The mooncake tradition is usually celebrated to gather with family by enjoying moon cakes, and eating together.
Some mooncakes are made using lard. There are also those made without lard such as using eggs, milk and cream. So this mooncake is vegetarian.