Chinese Treats: Moon Cakes
Even before the first breeze of autumn comes our way, shops, markets and hotels in Shanghai get busy preparing their shelves for these seasonal goodies. Slick, rounded cakes in exquisite packaging can be found everywhere. Many foreigners may be curious about this invasion of Chinese pastries, known as Yuebing to the locals, so we will guide you through the only Chinese dessert worth knowing about this season.
Moon Cakes date back to the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), when Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu) first became widely celebrated. There are many myths surrounding the origins of the festival, yet Zhongqiu remains as a time for family reunion, giving thanks and praying. A public holiday in China since 2008, the celebration usually takes place on the fifteenth day in the eighth month according to the Chinese lunar calendar and during a full moon. This year the celebrations will be held on the 19th September.
Eating moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival is as important as fireworks are to New Years or roses to Valentines Day. Its rounded shape symbolizes harmony and togetherness and the sentiment it carries is essential to Chinese people around the world. Having family and friends gathered around a dinner table creates a perfect circle and, maybe not so coincidentally, resembles the shape of a full moon.
If you have never tried a moon cake before, we suggest sampling a broad range of brands and styles. There are many regional variations in terms of filling, crust and preparation. The most popular kind in Shanghai is usually Cantonese or Suzhou style. A rule of thumb for beginners: traditional tastes range from five nuts, red lotus with egg yolk, red bean, purple sweet potato, and osmanthus, where are modern-day creations can feature anything from coffee latte to cranberry with red wine.
If you can’t pick a flavor, why not get a gift set from a hotel where you can guarantee that the taste, quality and presentation will be of the utmost standards? Here are some of our selections from around Shanghai.
Hyatt on the Bund are offering a selection of seasonal moon cakes; Longjing Tea for spring, Green Tea with Hazelnut for summer, Wulong Tea with White Lotus for autumn, and Pu’er Tea with Plum for winter. Sets of eightare available for RMB 288. Tel: 6393 1234 ext. 6398
The Westin Bund Center Shanghai offers two options; Radiant Moon Deluxe Box of six moon cakes priced at RMB 228, with flavors including Cantonese-style coconut, egg yolk, blue mountain coffee, meat floss, baked cream custard or baked red wine cranberry, and an Autumn Prosperity Premium Box of eight pieces priced at RMB 388, including flavors of Cantonese-style coconut, egg yolk, mountain coffee, meat floss, baked cream custard, baked red wine cranberry, baked dried X.O. scallops and baked beef satay. Tel: 6335 2919
Choose from Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel’s Deluxe and Premier Collections, both of which contain four mooncakes each and are enclosed in luxurious jewelry boxes. The Premier Collection is priced at RMB298, including a special gift of crystal necklace, and the Deluxe Collection is priced at RMB158. Featured are classic flavors of lotus paste with egg yolk, matcha paste with red bean, assorted nut paste, coconut paste and cranberry paste with red wine. Tel: 3858 0716
The Peninsula moon cakes are made from traditional recipes using rich duck eggs and these quality moon cakes have long been cherished in Hong Kong. Yi Long Court’s Custard Moon Cakes are handmade using a wooden mold and this eight-piece set is priced at RMB 308. The Peninsula ten-piece Premium gift box is priced at RMB 980, featuring white lotus seed with four yolks, XO sauce dried scallop, date paste with sunflower seeds, and pineapple paste. Tel: 2327 6742
The Waldorf Astoria launched its 2013 moon cake selection in collaboration with Mei-Xin, one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated Chinese confectioners. The Waldorf Deluxe Moon Cake Gift Box is priced at RMB 588 and packs four delicate moon cakes into a leather case. Also available is the four-piece Waldorf Moon cake Selection, priced at RMB 388. Tel: 2329 0318
Grand Mercure Shanghai Hongqiao presents its moon cakes elegantly in an eco-friendly wooden box and features a selection of rose red bean, Japanese tea andlotus paste. RMB 198 for a six-piece set. Tel: 5153 3300 ext. 3711
Pudong Shangri-La celebrates with a collection of delectable moon cakes which are elegantly presented in a selection of 7 premium gift boxes and 2 luxurious hampers. Exotic flavors include black date and walnut paste, black sesame paste, coconut paste, hazelnut chocolate paste in Chiu Chow style, and pomelo with honey. Prices start from RMB 198. Tel: 2828 6318
For those hardcore Yin-Yang experts out there, we will finish off with a bit of a surprise: you perhaps weren’t aware of the existence of matching sun cakes! If you are wondering, it’s a type of popular dessert in Taiwan with flaky crusts. So there!
