Happy #midautumnfestival! Remember, no matter how far apart you are from your loved ones you can still see the same Moon tonight. That's true meaning of Zhong Qiu Jie (#中秋節)
Mooncakes for breakfast the morning after. God I love a good moon cake!
#中秋節 #MidAutumnFestival2020
Protip: a good Moon Cake will be extremely high in fat content. Meaning it is perfect to reheat in the oven! Just don't burn it! Toast it long enough to get that fat sizzling! This is the optimal way to eat moon cake!
I've heard a lot of folks comment they find Mooncakes disappointing when they finally try them. Here's the thing, there are so many different kinds! Saying you don't like Mooncake after trying one is like saying you don't like pie after only trying one slice of pie ever.
Also quality is a factor. Many commercial mooncakes are poorly made. Here's what to look out for in a good mooncake:
-high fat content (lard is best! But there are good plant based options these days too!)
-Not dry or mealy
-salty, savory, sweet taste
I'm lucky to work near China Town so I can pick up fresh, made from scratch moon cakes every day.
See that beautiful glisten? That's the result of the plentiful lard in the cake. This gives the moon cake its rich, savory flavor and smooth, heavy texture. This is one of the most calorie dense foods on earth, and it's cos of the fat even more than the sugar!
See that beautiful orange core? That's salted egg! There are so many different types of moon cake fillings, but you'll never go wrong with salted egg! It's salty sweet flavor is perfect for moon cakes (and pretty much everything else ever!)
This is the "Five Kernel" (五仁月饼) mooncake, made from 5 different kinds of nuts & seeds and orange peel. I didn't like it as a kid, but as (someone pretending to be) an adult I LOVE its complex flavors and textures. This is not your entry level Mooncake! (But try it anyway!)
Traditional mooncake has an old world charm to it. It's a delicacy from a time before refrigerators. If you like fruit cake you'll love Mooncake. And if you don't like either of those things, well maybe you just haven't had a good one yet! Keep your mind (and your palate) open!
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