Illustrations by Loso Kao
Text by Rosemary Chen
Mid-Autumn Festival is a well-known Chinese holiday, solely reserved for family time, full-moon-gazing, and of course, those indispensable delicacies — mooncakes.
Mooncakes were passed down from the Song Dynasty (960–1279) and attained mythic status through their role in helping the Ming overthrow Mongolian rule in the 14th century. The tasty snacks continue to play a central role in gift-giving culture but have changed their flavor, shape, and packaging in step with fashion.
A consumer survey completed by the ETMall online shopping website found that each generation has a distinct preference when it comes to mooncakes. From middle age and upwards people prefer more traditional flavors, such as salted egg yokes and mung beans; people in their 30s and 40s have a predilection for pineapple flavor; while people under the age of 29 enjoy novel flavors in fashionable packages.
The News Lens has put together a series of illustrations of different mooncake flavors to show there's something for everyone.
Custard
Custard mooncakes were first invented and sold at Hong Kong's Sheraton Hotel in 1986.
Lotus seed paste and pine nuts
The classic and most traditional mooncake — said to have been used to liberate the Han from the yoke of Mongolian.
Mung beans
Well-cooked green beans mixed with white sugar create a mouth-watering, smooth texture.
Red beans
The baking process is no different from the mung beans mooncake, except it's made for red bean lovers.
Salted egg yolks
A salty and sweet combination with a special surprise inside.
Sweet dates
The perfect mix of sweet and sour.
Editor: David Green
