Moon cakes with a difference

Tai Thong Group of Restaurants group executive dim sum chef Yiu Wing Keung has come up with some delightful ‘first in the market’ moon cake flavours.

GIFTS of moon cakes and pomelos to friends and relatives are traditional among the Chinese during the mid-autumn festival each year.

Sydney Quays says Starbucks’ mooncakes use semi-sweet ingredients as well as cheese, which complement coffee very well

This year, the festival falls on Sunday.

Come that day, some people may be in for a surprise when they bite into their moon cakes.

The reason? Some restaurants and bakeries have come up with some not-so-traditional flavours and fillings for their moon cakes.

Take, for instance, the Tai Thong Group of Restaurants.
It has come up with some half a dozen or so new "first in the market" flavours to cater to the changing taste of Malaysian diners, says its group executive dim sum chef, Yiu Wing Keung.

The restaurant group will be doubly happy if it can "capture" new customers who have a hankering for adventure where their palates are concerned.

Yiu, a native of Hong Kong, has come up with the Green Tea and Pu Er Lotus Paste moon cake, Salted Lotus with Dried Sambal moon cake and three snow skin variants -- Nutty Delights, Tropical Paradise and Fruit Delights.



"I was inspired to make the Green Tea and Pu Er combination as these two are the kings of Japanese teas and Chinese teas, respectively.

"The two shades of green and their flavours prove a delightful combination, both pleasing to the palate and the eyes.

"As for the sambal flavour, I once tried nyonya chang and I liked the sambal in it. So, I thought of creating moon cakes with a sambal flavour."



To do that, he reduced the sugar content in the lotus paste, added some salt and mixed the paste with shallot oil to produce a savoury paste. The sambal paste was then shaped into an egg yolk shape.

As for the snow skin series, he decided on one that would only use nuts such as almond, peanut, chestnut, kuaci and a type of bean.

The Tropical Paradise variant was a rich combination of mango and aloe vera.

The Fruit Delights variant was made of kiwi fruit, lychee and blueberries, making it both sweet and sour in taste.

The response to these new flavours surpassed Yiu's expectations and the three snow skin moon cake variants have all been sold out.

All the moon cakes went very well with a hot cup of Chinese tea , said Yiu.

Starbucks in Malaysia, on the other hand, has come out with its Moonlight Brews Love With Coffee featuring Tiramisu, Hazelnut Latte, Berries Cheese and Green Tea Chocolate flavours.

"The difference in our moon cakes is the element of Starbucks in all of them. All the four flavours either use our coffee or green tea as ingredients in the filling or skins," said its marketing and communications director, Sydney Quays.

Starbucks' moon cakes use semi-sweet ingredients as well as cheese and they complement coffee very well, he said.

To date, the coffee company has achieved over RM10,000 in moon cake sales in the peninsula. The moon cakes are sold in either a flap-lid box or in premium treasure box sets.

The latter comes with a commemorative mug with symbols of abundance, harmony and good luck in an attractive gift box.

"The mugs are collectors' items and they are very popular as corporate gifts. We have clients who buy them for their friends in Vietnam," said Quays.

The mid-autumn festival, or Chung Chiu, is celebrated by the Chinese the world over on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.

This is a major Chinese festival, and certain symbolic food are only available at this time of the year.

Some families observe a reunion dinner on this day.

Roast duck, roast pork, prawns, fish, sea cucumbers, scallops, mushrooms, lotus root and Chinese lettuce feature prominently in the traditional dishes and soups.

A moon cake party is held on this night as it is believed that the harvest moon is at its brightest and most beautiful then. Mini yams, water caltrops, pomelos and peanuts are also eaten.

In the old days, children used to play with the caltrops by threading and spinning them after eating its flesh.

Colourful lanterns are lit for a festive atmosphere. Traditionally, children play with lanterns of animal designs such as rabbits, dragons and fish, but in keeping with the times, airplane, rocket, spaceship and superhero lanterns are popular now.

Lantern processions are also part of the fun. Children in the neighbourhood gather together and parade their colourful lanterns through the streets.