29 July 2011

Also known as Mooncake or Lantern Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated by the Chinese on the 15^th day of the eighth lunar month when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. This year, the festival falls on 12 September.

The festival commemorates the uprising against the Mongols in the 14^th century. Legend has it that plans for the uprising were hidden inside small cakes and distributed to compatriots. Over time, sweet mooncakes became a symbol of the festival. Another legend tells of Chang Er (Lady of the Moon) who floated to the moon after swallowing her husband’s elixir of immortality.

During this festival, Chinese families gather for a reunion dinner feasting on sweet mooncakes, pomelos and other festive treats, while children play with brightly lit lanterns.

For generations, mooncakes have been traditionally filled with white lotus seed paste, often balanced with a savoury single or double salted egg yolk. There are also traditional mooncake varities made with red lotus seed paste, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, melon seeds, mixed nuts and jing hua ham, yam and red bean.

In recent years, snowskin mooncakes featuring smooth translucent skin have become very popular, with pastry chefs coming up with new and innovative flavours and fillings every year. Popular flavours include champagne truffle, chocolate, mango, green tea and black sesame.

Most hotels and Chinese restaurants start selling mooncakes about six weeks before the festival, and most places allow you to sample the goodies, so you can try before you buy.

The Fullerton Hotel’s Tropical Fruit

Snowskin Mooncakes

Fans of tropical fruits are in for a treat with The Fullerton Hotel’s fruit-inspired snowskin mooncake offerings this year. Flavours include Mango Pomelo with Sago; Honey Pineapple; Chocolate Banana with Chocolate Chips; and Durian Red Bean.

Those who love the king of fruits, the durian, can get their fill from Raffles Hotel’s creamy and luscious Snowskin Durian Mooncake. The hotel is also known for its Snowskin Mooncake with Champagne Truffle and Ganache, a perennial favourite. 

Chocolate lovers will want to get their hands on Fairmont Singapore’s Champagne Truffle and Chocolate Ganache; Dark Rocher Chocolate; Baileys Chocolate; and Rum & Raisin Chocolate Truffle mini snowskin mooncakes. The hotel also offers a Durian snowskin mooncake. 

Raffles Hotel’s Durian

Snowkin Mooncakes

Fairmont Singapore’s Rum & Raisin Chocolate Truffle Mini

Snowskin Mooncakes

Majestic Restaurant’s Mini Snowskin

with King of Durian Mooncake

Majestic Restaurant’s Mini Snowskin

with Kopi Luwak Mooncake

Majestic Restaurant has come up with a Mini Snowskin with Kopi Luwak mooncake specially for coffee lovers, made with the rare and prized Indonesian civet coffee. Those who love both coffee and tea can enjoy the best of both worlds with the Mini Fresh Milk Snowskin with “Yuan Yang” Paste which is inspired by the popular yuan yang Hong Kong beverage, a mixture of coffee and Hong Kong-style milk tea. The restaurant also has a Mini Snowskin with King of Durian mooncake made with Mao Shan Wang durian that has been carefully handpicked by its chef-owner. 

Mandarin Orchard’s Baked Mooncake with Mixed Nut and Jamon Iberico

Those craving something sweet, salty and nutty will like Mandarin Orchard’s Baked Mooncake with Mixed Nut and Jamon Iberico, made with Spain’s famous ham. Those who like mooncakes spiked with liqueur can go for the Mini Snowskin Purple Sweet Potato and Amaretto Truffle Mooncake or Mini Snowskin Lychee Martini Mooncake.

Whether traditional or snowskin versions, most mooncakes have characters of longevity or harmony inscribed on the top. These days, the mooncakes are packaged in attractive metal or cardboard boxes that boast sophisticated and elegant designs, and often become collectibles.