Mooncakes are a popular food that’s eaten in China to celebrate the mid-autumn festival. This festival celebrates the moon and brings together family and friends; sharing a mooncake and enjoying tea is a great tradition in China. There are several different mooncake filling options to choose from; in this article, we look at these different options.
White lotus seed
This filling option is very popular in China and a cost-effective way to fill a mooncake. White lotus seeds are used along with other ingredients to create a paste that is used to fill the mooncake. Like all other mooncake fillings, those filled with white lotus seeds are dense, full and delicious. White lotus seeds, when used in this way, don’t have a very distinctive flavour; this is why the seeds are mixed to make a paste with sugar and other ingredients such as honey; this brings out the flavour and creates a delicious filling that can be used to create spectacular mooncakes.
Salted egg yolk
Another filling that’s often used inside mooncakes is a salted egg yolk; the egg yolk is there to represent the moon. These egg yolks are very salty, which comes from the curing process. You can purchase the egg yolks on their own from many stores, or you can make your own with a bit of time and effort. The salted egg yolk is placed in the middle of the mooncake and surrounded by white lotus seed paste; this adds an extra umami flavour to the mooncakes and a rich buttery taste that comes from the yolk.
Red bean paste
Red bean paste is a popular ingredient in Chinese cuisine; it is used to create a variety of dishes, from mooncakes to red bean soups. The paste is very sweet in taste which works perfectly with the pastry to create a delicious mooncake dessert. You can buy red bean paste in many stores or make it yourself at home with only a few ingredients. Knowing how to make this paste can come in handy for many other Chinese recipes.
Green tea and mung bean
Green tea and mung bean paste are often combined to make an interesting and popular filling for a Hong Kong mooncake. This combination makes a very bright green colour that’s fantastic for filling mooncakes. This type of mooncake can be made savoury or sweet depending on how the filling is made and what ingredients are combined with green tea and mung beans.
Ice cream
A less traditional mooncake filling is ice cream; this can be used inside the cake to produce a sweet, satisfying dessert. Making an ice-cream-filled mooncake can be more challenging compared to the other flavours, as you need to make sure your ice cream sets correctly and doesn’t melt before the dessert is served. You can use many different flavours to create this delicious version of a mooncake, depending on your personal preferences.
Roast pork
Mooncakes can be savoury and sweet; a popular savoury flavour is roast pork. The pork used for the mooncake is mixed with a number of flavours and spices, such as oyster sauce, ginger and sesame oil, to create a delicious filling. You will find lots of different recipes for roast pork mooncakes online; take a look at a few different websites before deciding which one to attempt to make yourself. You can also purchase roast polk mooncakes from various different shops in China.
The filling options for mooncakes are endless; you can create sweet, savoury or a mixture of both flavours. A great way to get involved in the mid-autumn festival is to try several different types of mooncakes yourself. Alternatively, you could learn how to make mooncakes and impress all of your friends and family with your new skills. If you don’t have much experience with cooking, try a simple recipe first with ingredients you can easily source wherever you live. Once you get better, you can perfect your pastry skills and add decorations to the top of your mooncakes. Many mooncakes that you buy in China come decorated with flowers, vines and other designs baked into the top and sides of the pastry. Give mooncakes a go; you’re bound to find a flavour that you enjoy.
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