Today (27 Sep 2015) is the celebration of one of Chinese legend’s’ most beloved love stories.
For those of you who don’t know the story, there are several versions – but the underline of it is… Once upon a time, Earth had 10 Suns. Imagine with just 1 Sun now, we’re already complaining of the evil heat; 10 is just pure diabolical. So Archer HouYi used his spectacular skills to shoot down 9 of them and was awarded an immortality pill.
He didn’t take it though, because he didn’t want to be separated from his beloved wife Chang Er. However, someone broke into the house intending to steal the pill while HouYi wasn’t home, and Chang Er, in attempt to protect the pill, swallowed it. Then she floated to the moon where she now lives; and both husband and wife spent years pining for each other.
So in remembrance of her, he made mooncakes and thus the Mid-Autumn Festival was born. Through the many years, the mooncake has evolved along with times and has become a highly popular
Chinese treat today. The most traditional mooncake is the one filled with lotus seed paste! And if you’re lucky enough, you might just pick the one with a salted duck egg yolk inside. This is a symbol of good fortune!
1980s: Soft Like Jelly
As time passed, culinary experts got innovative and decided to give Singapore mooncakes a new edge to them. Instead of the usual flour crust, they decided to go with jelly instead! If you love those melt-in-your-mouth sort of treats, this is a must-have for you!
1990s: Frozen in Time
Probably to really help fight the heat, some major ice cream stores like Häagen-Dazs created ice cream mooncakes! Among the best mooncakes in Singapore, they are much like ice cream cakes – only very nicer designs and an interesting oriental taste to them.
Other mooncake experts also came up with their own renditions – namely the snow skin mooncakes. Cooked in a non-baked manner, the skin of the mooncake has a very unique texture to it. And because of the snow skin, this version of mooncake is easily one of the most popular ones around.
2000s: Very Singaporean
You know the King Fruit of the jungle; the green thorny one with yellow fruit, with a smell so powerful you know it from milesa mile away.
Well, combining 2 of Singapore’s delights together… Mooncake and durian; you get the Durian Mooncake.
2010s: Ultimate Creativity
Just when we thought that the Mooncake Festival in Singapore could not get any more creative, you can see even more original innovations.
Combining the trend of red velvet cake with tradition – this creation has managed to bring the best of both worlds together.
It is undeniable that the mooncake has undergone some pretty major changes, and not everyone knows about the love story of HouYi and Chang Er – but the one thing that is always appreciated is the intricate designs that makes it a treat for both the mouth and eyes. 🙂
Happy Mooncake Festival 2015, foodies! | Order mooncakes here