Moon Gazing!

 

Yes, the Mid-Autumn Festival has cometh upon us again.  Also known as the “Mooncake Festival”, ‘tis the day (night rather) where people will gather to gaze at the full moon above and hoping to discover some semblance of a rabbit, a fairy-like maiden or an axe wielding dude (no, we aren’t talking about Jack Nicholson in The Shining). And one does not simply stare at the moon with an empty stomach. In places such as Taiwan, for example, barbecue parties are a standard fare during the Mid-Autumn Festival. But celebrations are probably much subdued these days with the Covid-19 pandemic. Back home in Singapore, the SOP is typically a combination of mooncakes – round-shaped pastries that symbolize the moon – and Chinese tea, which are consumed as dessert after dinner.

The mooncakes have also evolved over the years. Apart from the traditional recipe (a rich thick filling usually made from red bean/lotus seed paste and surrounded by a thin crust) that has been passed down from generations , we now see all sorts of modern interpretations: from snow skin mooncakes with exotic fillings such as rum/raisins and champagne truffle, to Mao Shan Wang durian mooncakes. We at The Patissier have also come out with our own version of Moon Mousse Cakes for the second year running, just to partake in the occasion. The feedbacks that we have received for our “mooncakes” this year have been very positive. In the words of a customer, it “hits all the right spots, both visually (packaging) and taste wise”. So it looks like we will extend the run of our moon mousse cakes come next Mid-Autumn Festival.

While the Mid-Autumn Festival is generally about mooncakes, our cakes also tend to move very quickly on this day every year. Not that we are complaining, of course.

Here’s wishing one and all a happy Mid-Autumn Festival. May there be good weather and clear sky tonight for moon glazing and hopefully, a sighting of the jade rabbit (玉兔), Chang’e (嫦娥) and Wu Gang (吴刚)!