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)
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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🧵The Western take on Yoshitoshi is that he was a tragic figure waging a lone war against industrialization and modernization. A war that he lost and thus the traditions he championed died with him. It's a romantic notion that also satisfies tons of biases.
🧵But it's so far from the truth. Yes Ukyo-e fell out of favor for more modern methods of reproduction like photography. But it never died out. For instance there was the Shin-hanga (新版画) movement of the early 20th Century, whose purpose was to keep Ukyo-e alive and evolve it.
1. Manga has been more popular than Marvel or DC comics in the west for decades now
2. Marvel & DC =/= All American comics. Dog Man is one of the best selling books (not just comics) in the US. Americans definitely still enjoy reading American comics!
In fact, there have been times where Dog Man has been the #1 best selling book in the US overall!
Dog-Man is the most popular comic in America, outselling any manga. But for some reason it's not really considered a comic by most, i guess cos it's for kids? Where are the articles about how Dav Pilkey is a threat to Superhero comics lol
Listening to this nice piece on the film "Living" and how the author, British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro was inspired by the Akira Kurosawa film "Ikiru," an internationally beloved classic whose title means "To Live." npr.org/2023/03/06/116…
The piece drops the ball at the end tho, when the narrator says that the film "is not just a remake" and they have a Brit critic that goes "'Ikiru,' by Kurosawa, seems to be a film about Japan, 'Living,' by Ishiguro and his colleagues. seems to me a film about humanity"
Like WTF
What does that mean? Ikiru has been widely regarded as one of the "great films" internationally for decades. It's obviously very universal in its appeal. How is it that "Ikiru" being set in Japan makes it "about Japan" but "Living", being set in the UK, makes it "about humanity"?
Sometimes I think about when Hail To The Thief dropped & this one music critic called it pretentious pap saying Thom Yorke simply screams the words "PENETRATION" over and over in 2+2=5. But the actual lyrics are "we are not even PAYING ATTENTION" lol
Oh man this album rules. It brings back so many TERRIBLE MEMORIES lol. But in a good way!
I think There There is one of Radiohead's best singles. Such a rich, downbeat, groovy, anxious sound. And what a perfect message for the times. "Just cos you feel it, doesn't mean it's there." Tough pill to swallow. But sometimes you really need to hear it
I'm overdo for a food post! I hit up some nice places in Chiang Mai recently. #ArtEaterEats
Dirty Mocha from ... Google Maps has them listed as "Cutlater Cafe" but I could swear they had a Japanese sounding name. Probably rebranded without updating google. Anyhow it was a very good cup of coffee and a beautiful cafe! #ArtEaterEats
In addition to great coffee this place specializes in wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets, which go perfectly with a hot drink (really I should have just gotten an Americano or cappuccino instead of a sweet drink to go with these!)