Moon Cakes are a delicacy consumed during and around the Mid-Autumn Festival. They are often, but not always, round or rectangular. They have a noodle-like dough on the outside, and the insides are usually filled with one or more of the following: sweetmeats, bean paste, lotus seed paste, melon seed, all sorts of nuts, and duck egg yolks. Moon Cakes can be steamed, baked, or fried. The reason why they are called Moon Cakes may be because they are shaped like the moon. The Chinese characters mean that it was originally a seasonal confectionery eaten while admiring the mid-autumn harvest moon. During this period, the Moon Cake sold by stores and restaurants are made to symbolize the moon through the use of yolks from salted duck eggs, which are placed inside the lotus seed paste. These mid-autumn Moon Cakes with salted duck eggs are available for a limited period of time only. Moon cakes go best with oolong or jasmine tea.

Types of Moon Cakes

Many regional types of Moon Cakes evolved as time passed. The development of each type of Moon Cakes was governed by availability of resources, economic environment, and regional taste preferences. Here are some of the most widely known types:

1. Soochow-style Moon Cake--This style of Moon Cake began more than a thousand years ago. Within this regional type, there are more than a dozen variations. However, the most popular variation is "Ch'in-shui Mei-kuei yueh-ping" which is hand made and has a flaky cover with fruit and nut content. The Soochow-style Moon Cake is known for its layers of flaky dough and generous allotment of sugar and lard.

2. Peking-style Moon Cake--This type has two variations. One is called "Ti-chiang," which was affected by the Soochow-style. However, it has a light foamy dough instead of a flaky dough like Soochow-style Moon Cake. The other variation is called "Fan-Mao" and this type has a flaky white dough. The two most popular fillings are Mountain hawthorn and Wisteria blossom flavour. Peking-style of Moon Cake is especially appetizing and tempting in appearance since they are often meticulously decorated.

3. Ningpo-style Moon Cake--This type of Moon Cake is also inspired by Soochow-style Moon Cake and it is prevalent in Chekiang province. It has a compact covering and the fillings are either seaweed or ham. This type is also known for its spicy and salty flavour.

4. Yunnan-style Moon Cake--This type of Moon Cake is also known as "T'o" to the residents. The combination of various flours used for the dough is the key distinction in this type of Moon Cake. The combination of flours include rice, wheat buckwheat, and more. Most of the variations within this style are sweet.

5. Cantonese-style Moon Cake--This style of Moon Cake has the greatest number of variations. It has up to 200 variations! However, two prominent characteristics can still be identified among all these variations. First, the dough is somewhat sweet. Second, the Moon Cakes are shaped by a wooden mould. As for the fillings, the ingredients used are various and endless. Melon seed paste, lotus seed paste, ham, chicken, duck, roast pork, mushrooms, egg yolks are some of the ingredients used. More elaborate versions of moon cakes contain four egg yolks (representing the four phases of the moon). 

Moon Cake Recipe

Lotus Paste Moon Cake

Ingredients
Lotus paste:
¡P  600g lotus seed
¡P  1 tsp alkaline water
¡P  600g sugar
¡P  1 tbsp maltose
¡P  400g groundnut oil

Syrup:
¡P  600g sugar
¡P  400g water
¡P  3 slices lemon

Moon cake Pastry:
¡P  600g flour
¡P  600g syrup
¡P  140g groundnut oil
¡P  1 tsp alkaline water

Method

Cover lotus seeds with boiling water and add alkaline water. Cover container for 20 minutes. Rub the skin off the lotus seeds, then drain and wash them in clean water.

Cover the seeds again with water and boil until soft. Blend seeds into a paste.

In a non-stick wok or saucepan, heat up 200g oil and 300g sugar and cook until mixture turns into the colour of golden caramel.

Pour in lotus paste and continue stirring. Add the remaining oil and sugar. Cook until the paste thickens and doesn't stick to the sides of the wok or pan. Add maltose and stir for a while.

To test if the paste is ready, scoop a little into your hand and flatten it. If it doesn’t feel sticky, the paste is ready. Dish out the paste and leave to cool.

To make syrup: Put sugar, water and lemon slices into a saucepan. Boil over a slow fire until golden brown. Discard the lemon slices. Cool sufficiently before use.

To make moon cake pastry: Mix flour, syrup, oil and alkaline water and knead until elastic. Set aside for three hours. Divide the dough into 15 equal portions.

The final step: Take a portion of the dough and roll into a thin circular piece. Take a 150g ball of lotus paste and wrap with the moon cake pastry.

Dust a moon cake mould with flour. Press the dough with filling into the mould. Tap lightly to demould.

Grease baking tray and bake moon cakes in oven at 220 C for about 20 to 30 minutes.

For a glossy sheen, bake the moon cakes for about 10 minutes, then brush them with egg wash and continue to bake until golde