Mid-Autumn Mooncake – 中秋月餅
Time flies, it is that time of year again. Chinese supermarkets are already stacking up tins and tins of mooncakes ready for Mid Autumn Festival (中秋节) which falls on 3rd October this year. On that night, the moon will be at its fullest, roundest and brightest!
Mid-autumn festival (中秋节) is definitely one of my favorite Chinese festivity every year. But maybe I am getting older and cynical, I feel that the festival is not like what it used to be 20 years ago anymore. (Ouch! That really showing my age) Where’s my glittery gold fish lantern? Where’s my little piggy biscuit? Where’s my ram’s horn (菱角)? Believe it or not, the ram’s horn is a type of nut with white flesh inside. Don’t see them much these days, maybe in Asian countries.
I still remember when I was eleven years old, the school had this lanterns making competition, then all students got the chance to parade around town carrying our own lanterns. My lantern was a dice-shaped four sided red lantern with an auspicious idiom – 月圓花好 written on each side. Gold glitters shimmering around the edges and origami paper roses at four top corners. I was so damn proud walking around with my beautiful lantern, it is one of those nostalgic moments that I will never forget. Funny I can still remember every single details of the event, even those tiny candle wax drips on my Bata school shoes.
But after twenty three years (Yes! That’s how old I am, sort it!), I thought perhaps maybe it is the time for me to confess to the public on internet – that the lantern was actually made by my dad and sisters. *~GASP!* So embarrassing to admit that my dad actually made the frame, covered it with transparent red cellophane paper, and wrote the most beautiful Chinese calligraphy on it. Then my sisters helped out by making the paper roses, and decorated it with gold glitters. I still remember quite clearly that we had to stay up pretty late until midnight just to get it done, so that it is ready for the judging next morning at school. It was a beauty and I came 3rd in the competition. I guess when you are 11yo, you can get away with a lots of things. 
*The Mooncake God is so going to punish me this year!*
This time of year, usually family will gather around to have a reunion dinner together. It is one of my favorite pass time as my parents will always like to embarrass their kids by telling funny stories about us when we were kids. It is always a good laugh to share those embarrassing stories to the younger generations in our family.
Till these days, apart from the storytelling bit, I usually will still invite some of my close friends over for a get together dinner and share a mooncake or two. This year I am very lucky to receive some new range of mooncakes by Hei Yue Thong (喜月堂) in Malaysia, thanks to the good people at Amyson. Seriously, these mooncakes have the most beautiful boxes I’ve ever seen in my life! You have to check out those amazing mooncakes that comes in a four-tiers drawers box! The Sonata Combo box (picture above) is a beautiful red wooden box (MDF to be exact) with intricate embossed floral patterns on the side, and the lid is secured with a pair of complimentary chopsticks. And the four mooncakes are white lotus twin yolks (白蓉双黃), Hokkaido green tea with milk (北海道牛奶緑茶), mixed nut (伍仁) and chestnut o-mochi (栗子麻糬).
Then there is the Autumn Romance IV O-mochi series which comes in a hard box with a magnetic lock. The O-mochi mooncakes are the new range for this year. Instead of the traditional salted duck egg yolks inside, a chewy mochi ball is buried inside the mooncake. The O-mochi mooncakes come in four flavours – green tea o-mochi (緑茶麻糬), chocolate o-mochi (巧克力麻糬), pandan o-mochi (香葉麻糬) and chestnut o-mochi (栗子麻糬).
The Pom quite likes the mochi mooncakes as he thinks the egg yolk inside the traditional mooncake is a little bit too much for him. The mochi inside is sticky and chewy but very subtle in flavour. I don’t blame it since mooncake is always overly sweet with the white lotus paste inside. For me, I am still a traditional white lotus with yolk fan, although I do prefer only one yolk inside instead of two.
Lastly, the one that I can’t wait to try will have to be the Durian mooncake (榴蓮) and the Jade Custard mooncake (翡翠蛋奶) inside the Autumn Romance II series. I have try neither of them because I am saving it for the dinner party on the big day I’ve organised and share among friends.
These are absolutely beautiful mooncakes, as another thing I’ve noticed is the unique design of the mooncake moulds! The carving is so deep that it makes a beautiful detailed emboss mooncake. I also find the fat rounded Chinese characters on top of the mooncake adds a comical character to it. I believe the Hei Yue Thong (喜月堂) mooncakes are now available at major Asian grocery stores.
Long weekend, mid autumn festival, food, friends, and mooncakes. I am not complaining!
Happy Moon (Cake) Festival!
Hei Yue Thong mooncakes are made in Malaysia
A Table For Two (ATFT) is Billy Law's food blog that features best eats in Sydney and around the world with drool-worthy food photography to salivate your appetite. I also throw in a smidgen of my food and travel photography for good measure. Billy Law also happened to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia 2011. 
Durian mooncake is awesome! My Grandfather and my Dad use to run a mooncake/cake store in Vietnam. Without fail, EVERY time it is Moon festival time or Chinese New Year I hear the same stories about the hardship of making millions of cakes a day etc to for customers … and how it’s ‘easy’ for me to be sitting in an office all day lol
.-= Howard´s last blog ..The Hub, Wanaka, New Zealand =-.
Oh! Bata shoes! I bought myself two pairs of shoes from Bata when I was back in M’sia and my cousins laughed at me and asked why I was wearing school shoes
I love mooncake festival – and I very love the sound of durian mooncakes (as untraditional as they may be!)
.-= shez´s last blog ..raspberry & rosewater macarons =-.
My childhood lantern was the typical red cellophane fish. I’m also a traditional mooncake person. Not a fan of the mochi or icecream ones.
wow, I didn’t know the food gene runs through the family. But it is kinda sad to see those old traditions fading away though, don’t you think? I still remember the old mooncakes are stacked together and wrapped in paper with a red label at the front, instead of this all fancy boxes.
I heard Bata is dying, and the quality is not as good as used to be. Man, don’t you love the stinky Bata shoes every afternoon after walking home from school? PPewwww!!!
Yeah I think the Durian is very novelty, but I want to find out.
Hehe, is funny I think everyone in our generation has a red cellophane fish lantern at some stage. They are still the best though, don’t you think?
Gosh. I really miss the mooncakes. I had them for the last time in China last year during the Olympics. Too bad I am too far now. Maybe next year.
I only can imagine there will be a lot more variety in China! So lucky you. Not sure where you are, but I am sure you can find mooncake easily at any Chinese grocery stores in Chinatown.
Don’t worry; 1st and 2nd place also were made by parents and siblings
Those are beautiful mooncakes all right. The omochi ones are intriguing. I wonder if you could make a salted egg-flavored mochi. heheheheh
.-= Nate´s last blog ..Kuching Food Blogger Meetup @ My Restaurant (Sama Jaya) =-.
Ha we even had bata shoes here in Australia.
When I was a kid, here in Australia, I never understood why the Autumn festival occurred in Spring. I just thought the were nuts!
But I have to admit, I have never been a fan of the eggs. Why do they ruin perfectly good lotus seed moon cakes with eggs? I still don’t get it. The durian moon cakes sound interesting. Do you think they are available in the shops?
.-= yewenyi´s last blog ..CQ09 Ride #10 the ride home =-.
You could be right, that makes me feel better already!
I think you are on to something, maybe the mooncake inside has mochi and within mochi is a salted egg? 
LOL, well u should question why the Christmas here in always hot and not snowing like what it has been portrayed on TV! I don’t blame you, the duck yolk is quite something if u accidentally take a big bite. I am sure the durian mooncake is available at the shops. Helen found them in Cabramtta I saw on her post.
Well, believe it or not you are still younger than me. I am thinking an Orh Nee mooncake might totally rock. Hmmm.
.-= Rasa Malaysia´s last blog ..Calamansi =-.
I love mooncake. Its so good…
.-= Katherine´s last blog ..Tres Leche Cupcakes =-.
How come product names are written in Japanese?
Durian mooncake sounds very interesting – holding my nose -
.-= Yas´s last blog ..Malaysian & Dutch luncheon at Almost Bourdain =-.
I do miss the lanterns and miss spending mooncake festival with family.
Durian mooncake is not my type. I prefer the old kool mooncake but double yolk and will like to try the mochi mooncake!
Thanks for sharing all the different types of mooncake and as usual your photos are amazing!
.-= penny aka jeroxie´s last blog ..My first home made Char Siew Bao =-.
Orh Nee mooncake? mmm… can be interesting. I would like to try if you ever make one!
I think we all love mooncake! Hello cholesterol!
Hahaha… cuz it makes it “fancy” LOL! I guess is because they used green tea and mochi inside, so is Japanese fusion, hence the japanese writings.
yeah, I am yet to find out what the durian mooncake taste like. I hope you will get some mooncakes for this year and celebrate!
Yeah I agree, gone are the days of running around with the lanterns. But it’s still good to see kids going to the temples though for prayers.
.-= Howard´s last blog ..Burger Battle, New Zealand Style =-.
What a gorgeous post! Mid- Autumn fest is my favorite. It’s crazy how many flavours are out there now but I still love my yellow lotus seed with 2 yolks.
Thanks! I am one yolk man, 2 yolks are bit much for me. I prefer a good balance of lotus paste and yolk.
Bata still thrives in the Czech Republic from what I saw when I was in Prague. Maybe it’s not the same Bata as we had in AU back in the day, but still…
http://www.bata.com/stores/flagship_store_locator.php?i=9&z=3#czech+republic
On a side note, I’ve never had Moon Cakes, but those pics are beautiful.
Going out right now to try and buy some from Melbourne China town – our first mid-Autumn celebration with our 2 y.o. daughter adopted from China – thanks for sharing!
Happy Mid Autumn (Spring in Australia)!! I thought I share with you this funny mooncake from this funky G.O.D. shop in HK.
http://www.god.com.hk/marketing/09-jul-mooncake.jpg
Mooncakes are AMAZING!
I love the traditional ones, but have you ever had Raffles Hotel’s (Singapore) Snow Skin Mooncakes? They are absolutely delicious. With a soft mochi-like skin and a layer of lotus paste and a cracking champagne chocolate in the centre… It was a dream come true every CNY I got to spend there
You can check them out here if you’d like:
http://www.raffleshotelmooncakes.com/moon_cakes_perennial.html