When it comes to food during the Mid-Autumn Festival, we cannot forget about mooncakes. Let’s take a tour around Asia to see what delightful mooncake varieties different countries have to offer.
Vietnamese mooncakes come in two types: baked and sticky. The sticky mooncake has a white crust made from glutinous rice flour mixed with sweet syrup, while the baked mooncake has a crust made from fermented wheat flour mixed with eggs and wine, then baked to a golden perfection. (Image: Tuisme.blogspot).
Traditional Vietnamese mooncakes are delicious and attractive with a mixed filling of lotus seeds, pork fat, sesame, Chinese sausage, mung beans, and lime leaves, creating a sweet and fragrant flavor. Mooncakes are typically round, symbolizing the full moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, family reunion, and the desire for happiness. (Image: Tuisme.blogspot).
Songpyeon is the name for mooncakes in South Korea, meaning half-moon shaped rice cake. Songpyeon is made by mixing rice flour with hot water, then kneading the dough and filling it with green beans, black sesame, chestnut, or other fillings, and steaming it until cooked. (Image: Koreanbapsang).
Steamed Songpyeon is placed on fresh pine leaves to maintain its shape while also adding a unique flavor. Besides the traditional white color, the cakes are also created in various beautiful colors: pink from strawberries, dark green from mugwort, yellow from pumpkin, etc. The finished product is chewy, sweet, and lightly fragrant from the fresh pine leaves. (Image: Twinrabbit).
It can be said that sticky mooncakes with durian filling are a signature treat of Singapore. Most locals here enjoy the rich flavor of durian in these mooncakes. (Image: Wanderluxe).
Sticky mooncakes with durian filling, like other mooncakes in Singapore, are inspired by the Chinese “snow skin” mooncake. Not only are they white, but mooncakes in Singapore come in a variety of vibrant colors. Typically, the crust matches the filling: yellow for durian, pink for taro, green for matcha, etc. (Image: Danielfooddiary).
In Japan, the mooncake is called Tsukimi Dango (commonly referred to as Dango) – a type of cake made from rice flour, quite similar to mochi, which comes in various shapes, but the most popular is round. (Image: Tokyopic).
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Tsukimi Dango is stacked in a tower shape on a wooden shelf. Each “cake tower” has about 15 pieces. Next to the “cake tower” is a vase of susuki grass, and some other fruits may also be displayed. (Image: Tokyopic).
Hopia is the name for mooncakes in the Philippines. These are simple baked cakes, not very colorful or intricately patterned, but still extremely appealing due to their diverse and delicious fillings. (Image: Hopialikeit).
There are many versions of hopia, such as: hopiang mungo (green bean baked cake), hopiang baboy (pork baked cake), hopiang hapon (Japanese baked cake), hopiang ube (purple yam baked cake)… (Image: Picssr).
Chinese mooncakes are typically round, symbolizing “reunion”, a meaning that dates back to the Ming Dynasty. Nowadays, mooncakes come in various shapes, including square and animal shapes, and are made with a variety of more appealing ingredients. (Image: Thinglink).
Mooncakes in China (Yuebing) only include baked varieties, without the sticky type like in Vietnam. They often have crusts printed with auspicious Chinese characters for family reunion celebrations. There are many traditional flavors like mung bean, red bean, green tea, taro… This type of cake is also commonly made in Malaysia and Taiwan. Nowadays, Yuebing is made in many unique shapes and with various innovative fillings. (Image: Visitbeijing).
The Moon Festival in Cambodia takes place much later, usually on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month rather than on the 15th of the 8th lunar month like in other countries. This festival is known as the Ok Om Pok Festival, which is celebrated at night with the famous offering of flat green rice cakes.
The flat green rice cake in Cambodia is made from rice grains that are still milky, with a distinctive fresh rice aroma, mixed with fresh coconut and sugar to create a beautiful green cake that is fragrant and delicious. The young rice is harvested and sun-dried, selecting grains that are milky white and then ground evenly without being crushed and cooked like rice. Once the rice grains are cooked, they are pressed flat and either sun-dried or roasted until dry. If the dried rice is to be made into cakes, it is cooked with coconut water and flour; otherwise, it can be stored for later consumption or given as gifts. When eaten, you can immediately feel the fragrant taste of young rice, especially when combined with shredded coconut, making it even more irresistibly rich. The flat green rice cake is not just a traditional treat for the Mid-Autumn Festival in this country, but also reflects the cultural beauty of the local people. (Image: Dulich9).
Malaysia: In Malaysia, there are two famous types of mooncakes: Casahana and Baker’s Cottage. These cakes come in a variety of colors and flavors, which include the Japanese Azuki red bean and the white lotus seed flavor Omochi. The cakes primarily use plant-based ingredients and have a moderate sweetness.
According to Thai legend, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, eight immortal deities visit the Moon Palace to present peach-shaped cakes along with birthday wishes for Guanyin, a Bodhisattva. Consequently, Thai mooncakes are shaped like peaches. During this festival, all family members, including men, women, children, and the elderly, gather around a table with moon offerings, pray together, and exchange blessings.
Taiwan (China): For the people of Taiwan, the Mid-Autumn Festival is an important occasion for family reunions. The mille-feuille mooncakes stand out for their delicacy and modern flavors. The cakes are round, with a multi-layered outer crust. The filling usually consists of taro and red beans. (Photo: Cookpad).
Thanks to creativity, the salted egg and flowing egg yolk filling has emerged as a trend among food enthusiasts. (Photo: Dacsandailoan, Voso).
