In terms of flavor, there are sweet, savory, salty-sweet, and spicy flavors. Regarding the filling, there are varieties with five kernels, bean paste, rock sugar, sesame, ham, and more. By pastry type, they are categorized into syrup pastry, mixed-sugar pastry, and flaky pastry. In terms of shape, there are plain-faced mooncakes, patterned mooncakes, and novelty shapes like those featuring the Monkey King or the God of Longevity.
Specifically, mooncakes nationwide can be divided into five major styles: Beijing-Tianjin, Cantonese, Suzhou, and Chaozhou. Although they may have similar appearances, their flavors are distinctly different:
Beijing-Tianjin mooncakes are known for being vegetarian, with both the oil and fillings being plant-based. Cantonese mooncakes are light on oil but emphasize sweetness. Suzhou-style mooncakes feature rich flavors, paying attention to both oil and sugar, and have a preference for a loose, crispy texture. Chaozhou mooncakes are relatively flat, have a white pastry, and are filled with crispy sugar, making them fragrant and crunchy upon eating.
Other famous varieties include Yunnan's "Dian-style mooncakes," Ningbo's "Ning-style mooncakes," Shanghai's "Hu-style mooncakes," Xiamen's "Qinglan mooncakes," Fuzhou's "Five-Kernel mooncakes," Xi'an's "Demugong Crystal mooncakes," Harbin's "Laodingfeng Brand" mooncakes, Yangzhou's "Black Sesame mooncakes," Shaoxing's "Dried Vegetable mooncakes," Jinan's "Grape Soft-Filling mooncakes" and "Crystal Bean Paste mooncakes," each with its own unique flavor characteristics.
How to Choose Mooncakes
A. Look at the brand: Try to choose products from well-known, long-established brands.
B. Look at the trademark: Buy mooncakes with standardized and complete production labels. Pay special attention to checking for the word "mooncake" in a prominent position on the packaging box.
C. Look at the production date and shelf life: Check if the packaging is intact.
D. Look at the mooncake's surface: Check for any obvious greasiness, whether the shape is regular, the color is even, and the patterns are clear. Also, check for signs of scorching or mold. Freshly made mooncakes have a bright color, a shiny surface, and a soft texture. Old or poor-quality mooncakes have an off-color, a dull and unshiny appearance, and look dark and dry. Additionally, some mooncakes may appear stained, which is due to the use of poor-quality oil.
E. Smell the mooncake: Check for any rancid smell from the oil.
F. After cutting the mooncake, check the thickness of the pastry. A normal mooncake's pastry should be about 4mm thick.
Eating Mooncakes Correctly
A. Taste a variety while they are fresh: With the wide variety of mooncakes, it's impossible to try them all. If you buy a few different kinds based on your family's preferences and cut each into several pieces to share, you can sample multiple flavors at once.
B. Eat them fresh, don't store them: Fresh mooncakes are round, full, and have a good appearance, strong aroma, and delicious taste. Mooncakes are sensitive to high temperatures and moisture; if stored for too long, they will lose their aromatic qualities and the filling can spoil. Putting mooncakes in the refrigerator will make the pastry hard and diminish the flavor. Eating mooncakes with mold spots can easily cause food poisoning.
C. Eat in order: Mooncakes are generally savory or sweet. If eating both savory and sweet, the savory ones should be eaten first. If you have a variety of flavors such as fresh, savory, sweet, and spicy, they should be eaten in that order to best appreciate the taste of each.
D. Pair with hot, not cold: Mooncakes are rich in fat. It is not advisable to pair them with cold drinks, as this can cause diarrhea. It's best to have a cup of hot tea or hot water to drink alongside, which can quench your thirst and remove any aftertaste, making the mooncakes more enjoyable.
E. Eat in moderation: Mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sucrose and should not be consumed excessively. Overeating can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. This is especially important for the elderly, children, and those with digestive issues.
Who Should Avoid Eating Mooncakes
Mooncakes contain a large amount of sucrose, and all types of diabetics should strictly avoid them. People with stomach or duodenal ulcers may experience increased acid secretion after eating mooncakes, which is extremely unfavorable for healing, so it is best to avoid them. People with cavities may find their cavities deepen and pulpitis may be triggered after eating mooncakes, intensifying the pain, so they should eat them sparingly or brush their teeth immediately afterward. People with obesity, high blood lipids, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, and coronary heart disease should also try to resist the temptation and eat fewer or no mooncakes, as consuming them can raise cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, making it thicker. Eating mooncakes can also easily cause a relapse in patients with chronic cholecystitis or chronic pancreatitis, leading to severe biliary colic and upper abdominal pain. For patients with gallstones, eating mooncakes can stimulate bile and trigger an attack, especially for young patients, which can lead to acute pancreatitis with severe abdominal pain and even be life-threatening.
How to Store Mooncakes
Mooncakes come in hard and soft styles. When buying, you should choose according to your preference, and it's best not to buy too many. If you plan to send them to friends and family far away, it is best to choose hard-style mooncakes. This type has less filling and low water content, so they will not spoil due to high temperatures during mailing.
If you can't finish the mooncakes at once, you can store them in food bags or in a pastry box. Soft mooncakes can be kept for 10 days by placing them in a clean basket and hanging them in a ventilated place. You can also layer hard and soft mooncakes in a food cabinet; the interaction between the two types can help extend their shelf life.