The Mooncake De-Mystified

88DB Festive Guide, Wine and Dine — By Sofianna on July 16, 2012 11:13 am

As the name suggests, the mooncake is a type of Chinese “cake.” The confection is eaten typically during the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Lunar Calendar. It is also commonly known as the Mooncake Festival, thus the name. Today, there are several variations of the mooncake to suit a multitude of palates and dietary needs, such as vegetarian.

Unlike their Western counterparts, the mooncake is rich, dense and made entirely of a filling surrounded by a thin crust (or skin). They can be either round (like the moon) or rectangular in form. The ultimate non-vegetarian version contains a hidden treat – the yolk of an egg. Given the luxurious and generous filling, one mooncake is normally shared by a few and eaten in small wedges.

Making mooncakes is time-consuming and laborious, as such, they are expensive and considered a delicacy. The process is also quite complicated, with several people opting to buy them ready-made from shops, rather than making them at home.

Mooncake types

As mentioned, just as there are several versions of the legend, there are several versions of mooncake. First, there is the crust. The two most popular crusts are the snowskin – a thin, soft crust that comes in a variety of colours and flavours – and the traditional skin that is slightly thicker than snow, is reddish-brown in colour and has a glossy sheen all over (seen above). Next comes the filling. One can choose a type with or without the yolk. Popular fillings on this side of the world are:

Red bean paste, most commonly made from Azuki beans
Lotus seed paste, one of the sweetest and more expensive

These days, one can also find durian mooncakes as well as other fruit varietals such as mango and strawberry (left). Matcha or green tea
flavoured mooncakes are also gaining in popularity. For vegetarians, they can also opt for those that contain chopped pumpkin seeds and other nuts, in lieu of the egg yolk, for that added texture and flavour.

The Legend of Houyi and Chang’e

The Mid-Autumn Festival is strongly associated with the legend of Houyi and Chang’e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality. While there are many adaptations of the legend with varying details, all of them centre on their love.

The most popular version starts with Houyi, an immortal, and his wife Chang’e, a beautiful attendant to the Queen Mother of the West (the Jade Emperor’s wife) at the Jade Palace. They were banished from heaven due to malicious rumours by jealous immortals and forced to live on Earth. Here, Houyi had to hunt to survive and became a famous skilled archer.

During that period, 10 suns presented in the form of birds that take turns at travelling round the world. One day, all 10 sun birds circled the world together, causing the Earth to burn with drought and famine. To save the people, Emperor Yao of China, commanded Houyi to use his skills in archery to shoot down all but one of the sun birds. As a reward, the Emperor presented Houyi with a pill that granted eternal life. The people were saved, waters flowed freely and crops flourished once more.

While Houyi had carved a life for himself as an archer, Chang’e did not fare as well on Earth and yearned to be back in the Heavens. In a selfish moment, she swallowed the pill one night, as her husband was returning home. Upon seeing this, Houyi pursued her halfway across the heavens but was forced to return to Earth due to his mortality. Chang’e, realising what she had done, stopped on the moon, which is closest to the Earth but could not return. The gods who have been watching them, took pity and rather than leave them separated forever, gave the legendary archer the ability to ascend to the moon once a year to visit his love. It is said that because of this reunion, the moon
is full and looks especially beautiful on that night.

So the next time you come across a mooncake, remember the legend, share the story and enjoy a slice of love.

Where to get mooncakes:
Durian mooncakes at your doorstep!
Enjoy halal mooncakes today!