MOONCAKE, the representative food of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, was once something I tried to avoid due to its sole and unchangeable taste and large amounts of sugar and fat. That was until one year when I had to stay in Europe spending the festival alone and I started to miss the familiar sweet taste. It was then I realized that mooncake for most Chinese is not just a food, but an expression of history, cultural identity and family love.

Moreover, after trying the mooncake made from different places in China, the taste of it was found to be not limited to sweet and sticky but with diverse flavors and textures.


Regional variations

The style of mooncake, from filling to crust, varies in different regions of China.

The Cantonese style features a thin crust and thick filling. The crust with a golden brown color, glossy sheen and auspicious pattern, mainly made of flour, oil and sodium carbonate, has a chewy texture and buttery flavor. Fillings can be either sweet or savory. The ingredients of the sweet filling is diverse, from red bean paste, lotus seed, wuren (five different nuts including peanut, sesame and walnut) to coconut and pumpkin. Sometimes, salted egg yolk is added to enrich the taste, balance the sweetness and add texture. However, because of the dense filling, Cantonese mooncake is often criticized for being too sweet and heavy for modern healthy lifestyles.

Savory fillings, which are far less popular than the sweet, can be made with ham, shredded chicken meat and dried shrimp. Some restaurants have recently launched luxury savory versions, using bird's nest and abalone as the ingredients.

No matter sweet or savory, an experienced pastry chef can make the filling smooth and silky, building a contrast to the chewy crust.

Suzhou-style mooncake, featuring a flaky crust and a generous allotment of sugar and lard, is popular in east China.

"The crust is totally different to the Cantonese style," said Zhu Xianxia, the pastry chef at Jade Mansion, a restaurant in Shanghai famous for its Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine.

"When people serve Cantonese-style cake, their focus is on the filling. However, for those serving the Suzhou style, a hand-crafted crust is rather important."

Zhu said that the Suzhou-style crust is made by rolling alternating layers of oily dough and flour, having been stir-fried together in advance. The pastry chef's rolling should be gentle, even and constant so that the crust can achieve a soft, crispy and melt-in-the-mouth texture.

The filling also has sweet and savory kinds but is made in different ways. The sweet mooncake is baked while the savory mooncake is toasted. The classic sweet filling is made of rose blossom and syrup with rich floral notes and pleasant sweetness. Jujube and chesnut paste, filled with regional charactertics, are also worth trying. The savory filling includes seaweed and crab roe is suitable for serving hot.

In Shanghai, the local mooncake is famous for its pork filling. Every year around the Mid-Autumn Festival, people waiting in hundred-meter-long queues to buy the pork-filled mooncake are a regular sight in main shopping areas such as Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road. The pastry is freshly baked every 20 minutes. The mooncake shares some similarities with the Suzhou style, both have a flaky crust. But Shanghai's is thinner and deep-roasted which tastes more crispy and oily. The taste, to a large extent, depends on the broth and meat inside.

We recommend trying one made at Laodafang, a food store in Shanghai opened during the Daoguang reign in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) with more than 200 years of history. They still faithfully use the recipe passed down by their ancestors. The broth tastes a little fatty but not too oily. The meat, having been preserved in soybean sauce, sugar and rice wine in advance, has a tender texture and rich flavor.

Unlike the Cantonese mooncake which is sophisticatedly packaged, and mainly used as a festival gift, Shanghai pork mooncake is simply packed and just a snack.

Yunnan mooncake is famous for its pastry dough made from three different flours - rice, wheat and buckwheat - so the texture is nicely chewy; Beijing's is known for its dry and hard crust and sweet osmanthus filling.

Legend and history

Like many traditional Chinese festival foods, there's a legend behind the mooncake. It is said that an archer named Houyi was awarded a pill of immortality because he saved the Earth by shooting down devil sunbirds. His wife Chang'e sneakingly took the pill and then floated to the Moon where she was destined to live alone eternally.

On the Moon, Chang'e felt regret and missed her husband on the Earth. She sent a dream to Houyi, telling him "if you use the flour to make the cake into the shape of a moon in the evening of middle (lunar) August and then call my name three times loudly, I'll fly back to the Earth, reuniting with you." From then on, the cake became the symbol of family and unity.

The earliest recorded mooncake in history can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). According to "Luo Zhong Ji Wen," a book recording Tang people's habits and customs, mooncake at that time was a palace food used by the emperor Tangxizong to award talented scholars. Until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the cake started becoming popular among ordinary people. People even used it as a medium transfering military secrets or romantic comments by writing messages on a slip of paper and concealing them in the filling of the cake.

Wine pairing

Usually, Chinese pair the mooncake with green tea since the tea flavor can balance the sweetness and extend the aftertaste. However, pairing the mooncake with wine may bring your palate a new experience.

In terms of Cantonese mooncake with its soft and sticky texture and high sweetness, we recommend to pair with Champagne with floral notes and fruitness. Brut Chardonnay Vintage, Champagne Nicolas Feuillate with light body, elegant aroma of white flowers such as acacia and hawthorn and subtle notes of citrus fruits and pears, balance the sweetness of the cake. Its fine and lovely bubbles give the dense filling a bright and refreshing perception.

The soft and crispy Suzhou mooncake with comparatively lower sweetness is suitable to serve with light sweet wine so that the sweetness of the cake can be further highlighted. A 2003 Clarendelle Amberwine, with fruity smell of dried apricot, peach and ripe pear, and a subtle note of orange blossom extends the sweet flavor left on the tongue as well as giving a nice and lasting aftertaste.

The wine pairing with Shanghai pork mooncake should be light, going well with its crispy crust. Certain tannin is also needed to balance the fatty meat filling and broth. We recommend pairing with Les Fumees Blanches Pinot Noir, 2010. The wine well presents the character of the grape variety, bright cherry colour, rich notes of black fruits as well as a rounded mouthfeel.

Mooncake offerings in luxury hotels

InterContinental Expo Shanghai

? Full Moon Superior: 158 yuan/box, 4 pieces

? Full Moon Deluxe: 288 yuan/box, 4 pieces

? Deluxe Mooncake Hamper: 1,288 yuan, including mooncake gift box, homemade X.O. sauce, China Pavilion handicraft, imported fruits, selected wine

Tel: 3858-1172



Courtyard by Marriott Shanghai Xujiahui

? Daintiness: 98 yuan/box, 6 pieces

? Splendidness: 238 yuan/box, 4 piece

Tel: 6129-2933



Crowne Plaza Century Park Shanghai ? Full Mooncake: 228 yuan/box

Tel: 5190-8888 ext 8307



Crowne Plaza Shanghai

? Shining Pearl Mooncake Gift Box: 158 yuan/box

? Premier Spanish Wine Mooncake Gift Set: 228 yuan/set

Tel: 6145-8700



Crowne Plaza Shanghai Fudan

? Memorable Moon: 188 yuan/box

Tel: 5552-9999 ext 3021



Crowne Plaza Shanghai Pudong

? Creativity: 189 yuan/box

? Fairy Tale: 99 yuan/box

Tel: 5862-1000 ext 3208



Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao

? Premium Mooncake Box: 268 yuan/box

Tel: 3323-6666



Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Kangqiao

? Autumn Grace: 189 yuan/box

? Autumn Fragrance: 239 yuan/box

Tel: 3829-1888 ext 2186



InterContinental Shanghai Puxi

? Jade Rhythm Gift Pack: 268 yuan/box Tel: 5253-9999 ext 6181



Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai

? Haoyue: 188 yuan/box

? Mingyue: 238 yuan/box

? Huiyue: 288 yuan/box

? Zunyue: 388 yuan/box

? Yayue: 388 yuan/box

? Blossoms: 318 yuan/box

? Reunion Hamper: 1,588 yuan/box

? Imperial Hamper: 1,888 yuan/box

Tel: 6169-8886



Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai

? Deluxe Moon: 188 yuan/box

Tel: 6415-1111 ext 5212/5214/5215



Park Hyatt Shanghai

? Mooncake Collection: 268 yuan/box

Tel: 3855-1106



Pudong Shangri-La Shanghai

? Qiu Yue: 198 yuan/box, 8 pieces

? Li Yue: 238 yuan/box, 9 pieces

? Yu Yue: 298 yuan/box, 8 pieces

? Bing Yue: 338 yuan/box, 5 pieces

? Zun Yue: 398 yuan/box, 12 pieces

? Shang Yue: 428 yuan/box, 12 pieces

? Reunion Hamper: 1,688 yuan/box

? Imperial Hamper: 2,288 yuan/boxTel: 5877-5029



Pullman Shanghai Skyway

? Gift box: 158 yuan/box, 4 pieces

? Gift box: 238 yuan/box, 8 pieces

Tel: 3318-9988 ext 8101/8719



Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai Hong Quan ? Luxury Hong Quan Mooncake: 168 yuan/box

Tel: 5355-9999 ext 3713/3810



Radisson Plaza Xing Guo Hotel Shanghai? Mooncake Gift Box: 258 yuan/box

Tel: 6212-9998 ext 3570/3505/3400



Radisson Blu New World Hotel

? Mooncake: 165 yuan/box

Tel: 6359-9999 ext 408



Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel ? Renaissance Deluxe Mooncake: 238 yuan/box, 4 pieces (150g/pc)

? Renaissance Deluxe Mooncake: 189 yuan/box, 6 pieces (80g/pc)

Tel: 3871-4888 ext 6137/6611



Renaissance Shanghai Putuo Hotel ? New Dynasty Six Treasures: 188 yuan/box

? New Dynasty Deluxe: 228 yuan/box

Tel: 2219-5888 ext 6888



Renaissance Shanghai Yangtze Hotel ? Dynasty Deluxe: 428 yuan/box

? Dynasty Classic: 238 yuan/box

? Dynasty Three Treasures: 198 yuan/box

Tel: 6275-0000 ext 2282/2230



Shanghai Marriott Hotel Changfeng Park

? Mini Mooncake Combination: 218 yuan/box

? Two Treasure Mooncake: 238 yuan/box

? Marriott Shark's Fin and Bird's Nest Mooncake: 638 yuan/box

Tel: 2215-6666 ext 6213



Sofitel Shanghai Hyland

? Luxury Box: 238 yuan/box

? Family Box: 168 yuan/box

Tel: 6351-5888 ext 4298



The Eton Hotel Shanghai

? Elegance Package: 238 yuan/box

? Luxury Package: 328 yuan/box

Tel: 3878-9888 ext 6350



The Langham Xintiandi, Shanghai

? Regular Mooncake: 198 yuan/box? Deluxe Mooncake: 298 yuan/box

Tel: 2330-2288



The Longemont Shanghai

? Longemont Mooncake Box: 168 yuan/box

Tel: 6115-9988



The Peninsula Shanghai

? Mini Egg Custard Mooncakes: 238 yuan/box

? Assorted Mini Mooncakes: 268 yuan/box

? Assorted Mooncakes: 428 yuan/box ? Deluxe Mooncake Gift Box: 580 yuan/box

? Premium Mooncake Gift Box: 980 yuan/box

Tel: 2327-6901



The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai

? Ritz-Carlton Mooncake: 218 yuan/box Tel: 6279-7977



The Ritz-Calton Shanghai Pudong

? Ritz-Carlton Classic Mooncakes: 218 yuan/box

? Ritz-Carlton Deluxe Mooncakes: 298 yuan/box

Tel: 2020-1717



The St. Regis Shanghai

? Full Moon Elegance: 188 yuan/box

? St. Regis Allure: 168 yuan/box

Tel: 5050-4567 ext 6312



Le Méridien She Shan Shanghai

? Mooncake Flourish: 128 yuan/box

? Mooncake Blossom: 168 yuan/box

? Mooncake Brilliant: 238 yuan/box

Tel: 5779-9999 ext 7341



Sheraton Shanghai Hotel & Residences, Pudong; Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai Pudong

? 2011 Sheraton Mooncake: 188 yuan/box

Tel: 5089-9999 ext 2220