What is Chinese Pastry (mooncake) ?

Chinese pastry (flaky pastry mooncake) is one of the modern twists of Chinese traditional mooncake. Both are popular options for the Mid-Autumn Festival, a Chinese holiday.  While traditional mooncakes have a dense, heavy filling with a thick crust, Chinese pastry is lighter and easier to digest. Chinese pastry has a small, round or flat shape with thin, flaky layers of crust and delicious filling that melts in your mouth.

What are Chinese Pastry’s popular fillings?

Chinese Pastry have both sweet and savory fillings, sometimes with salted egg yolk in the center. The top can be brushed with egg yolk to create a bright orange color. Sesame seeds can also be sprinkled on top. This dessert can be marked with a red dot, symbol, or message of blessings, depending on the occasion.  It could also indicate the name of the flavor and brand.

Popular Sweet fillings:
– Lotus seed
– Red Bean Paste (Azuki Beans)
– Unshelled mung beans
– Taro
– Chocolate
– Green Tea
– Purple Potato
– Sesame

Popular Savory fillings:
– Chicken Curry
– Minced meat
– Pork Floss

Bakers continue to experiment with new flavors for the younger generation who are more health conscious or eager for something different. For example, there is durian filling. Another trendy filling is oozing lava custard. It can also come in playful shapes of fruits and animals in a wide range of colors.

Meaning of Mooncakes

Traditional mooncakes are gifted among family and friends in China. It symbolizes togetherness, completeness, fortune, and harmony as family are reunited over a feast during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Nowadays, it’s a popular dessert enjoyed at any time of the year, usually paired with tea.