September 10th 2022 is the date of the mid-autumn mooncake festival. It is celebrated all over Asia, in China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong as well as major cities and pocket or places around Asia and the Far East such as Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. From the point of view of the westerner, the major delight is the abundance of moon cakes. They are the size of muffins but solid, as heavy as cricket balls. full of sugar and calories. Traditionally, they have a pastry outside and a filling of a thick paste featuring strong flavours of exotic fruits.
As an antidote to that sweetness, the more expensive ones have one of two tiny salted duck eggs in the middle. The varieties are constantly expanding.
Snow Skin
You can now buy white ones with an almost transparent snow-white gelatine or jelly like paste on the outside. The snow effect comes from glutinous rice flour.
You can even buy ice cream ones from ice cream shops, but because they would melt these are mostly for consumption at the shop rather than for home delivery.
Luxury Gifts
I was told that moon cakes are cheaper in Taiwan. In Singapore they are big business, given to clients, in fancy keepsake boxes. The outsides have colours and gold and fretwork and tassels. Inside you might have four compartments for four mooncakes, or two drawers, tor three drawers, or four drawers.
Hotel foyers have huge displays, often the hotel's own unique designs at ever increasing prices. If you are lucky, the vendors will have trays with teeny cubes or triangles to try.
You can buy moulds for mooncakes.
The mooncakes online from Fairprice cost under ten dollars. But by 7 pm Fairprice supermarket had completely sold out. They suggested trying ToastBox.
Toast Box Price and Choice
Toast Box sold a selection in a fancy box for 42 Singapore dollars and eighty cents. I think it would have contained four, but my husband on the phone to me from the supermarket was not sure. He then found one for twelve dollars, sweet or salty. I opted for sweet. They were offering a reduction in price, about ten percent off.
Toast Box Pastry Texture
Traditional mooncakes have a thick hard, crumbly pastry, like biscuit base, sausage pie, overcooked shortcrust. The Toast Box one had a softer outside, more like puff pastry or a solid croissant.
Toast Box Mooncake Shape
The ones from Toast box were flatter, more patty shape than fairy cake or muffin shape.
Toast Box Flavour
The Toast Box version at first seemed a poor relative, not as thick, solid and calorific as a traditional mooncake. However, as with most sweet things, they are addictive. By the time I had reached my third mouthful I was quite keen on the lighter style. I particularly liked what tasted like crunchy almond nibs on the base.
I shall, of course, have to try a few more. In the interests of research. I am sure you understand.
Useful Websites
Great recipes:
https://zhangcatherine.com/mooncakes/
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2021/09/food-and-fun-at-autumn-harvest.html
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