During China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, every household eats mooncakes, and friends and relatives also exchange mooncakes to express good wishes. But sometimes, a family of three or four will have several boxes of mooncakes, and they can't finish them all at home. What should be done? Fan Zhihong, an associate professor at the College of Food Science at China Agricultural University, has offered some advice.
Nutrition expert Fan Zhihong introduced the correct methods for storing mooncakes. If the mooncakes at home can be finished within two or three days, they can be stored at room temperature. For mooncakes that cannot be finished immediately, it is best to store them in the refrigerator along with their original packaging. Low-sugar mooncakes and those with a soft texture are more difficult to preserve. If they do not contain preservatives, they are prone to mold or spoilage easily. Pay attention to the shelf life instructions and storage temperature recommendations on the packaging. It is best not to freeze mooncakes, as their texture will change after being frozen.
"Pay attention to nutritional balance and control the amount of mooncakes you eat, integrating them into your daily healthy diet," Fan Zhihong suggested for families with an excess of mooncakes. Mooncakes are convenient to eat and high in energy. If there aren't too many left over, they can be eaten slowly as a breakfast snack—one piece at a time, paired with milk or soy milk. You can also add a slice of whole wheat bread and some fruit.
If you have a sweet tooth, you can also turn leftover mooncakes into other delicacies. "Mooncakes are already high in oil, so do not fry them again," Fan Zhihong suggested. You can cut the mooncakes into slices and eat them with whole grains that are free of oil, or scoop out the red bean paste or bean paste filling and mix it into congee or oatmeal. Pairing mooncakes with whole grains reduces the concentration of oil and sugar, thereby mitigating the health risks of a high-fat, high-sugar diet.
Finally, Fan Zhihong suggested that instead of letting excess mooncakes go moldy and throwing them away, or forcing yourself to eat them every day until your stomach feels uncomfortable, it would be better to give away the unfinished mooncakes. As the festival approaches, share the mooncakes with the manual laborers around you, such as construction workers, cleaners, and security guards. Offer them your blessings and create a warm atmosphere of a harmonious society. Why not do it?