Thread: Moon Cake

On 9/6/2011 7:21 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> It's moon cake season, as I can tell from the
> free samples passed out at the Asian food store
> on weekends. (Marina in Cupertino is best for
> samples, Maxim seldom has samples of anything,
> and Tin Tin closed several months ago.)
>
> After trying them once or twice, I turned them
> down because I thought they were made from bean
> paste and I don't eat beans. However, Wikipedia
> informs me that traditionally they are made from
> lotus seed paste, but cheaper ones may have white
> kidney beans added as a filler.
>
> Either way, I don't much like them. They look
> like fine pastries, and to Western sensibilities
> anything that looks like that should be sweet and
> luscious. Moon cakes are sweetened, but not
> nearly as much as I'd expect in a pastry filling.
> The filling is also dense, like peanut butter.
> I'd expect a much lighter filling in a pastry.

I am not big on pastries but what you described is the type I like. They
don't add tons of sugar. With typical pastries I get the impression I
could get the same result by getting a spoon and the sugar bowl.

I also like those types of fillings. Red bean is my favorite. Each to
his own I guess.

>
> I try to catch the latest news in the People's
> Daily (semi-official newspaper of the Communist
> Party of China), and they recently had an article
> about the new tax on moon cakes.
>
> http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90780/7589199.html
>
> Wow! Moon cakes are really expensive in China.
> It's a ridiculous tax, for reasons mentioned in
> the article. I suppose a "Moon Cake Party" could
> get traction, until the authorities became aware
> of it.
>
> Next time I'm offered a sample, I'll take it.
> I should re-evaluate whether they are really as
> uninteresting as I recall.
>
> I was thinking how a moon cake might be improved
> in the direction I would like, and it occurred to
> me that a lotus seed ganache might be interesting.
> Googling "lotus seed ganache" gets exactly one hit
> (probably more after I post this), so I'm not the
> first person to think of this. I don't think I'll
> bother trying to make it, though. Lotus seeds
> don't have much flavor, nor an interesting texture.
> Maybe I'll change my mind after having another
> sample.

It's moon cake season, as I can tell from the
free samples passed out at the Asian food store
on weekends. (Marina in Cupertino is best for
samples, Maxim seldom has samples of anything,
and Tin Tin closed several months ago.)

After trying them once or twice, I turned them
down because I thought they were made from bean
paste and I don't eat beans. However, Wikipedia
informs me that traditionally they are made from
lotus seed paste, but cheaper ones may have white
kidney beans added as a filler.

Either way, I don't much like them. They look
like fine pastries, and to Western sensibilities
anything that looks like that should be sweet and
luscious. Moon cakes are sweetened, but not
nearly as much as I'd expect in a pastry filling.
The filling is also dense, like peanut butter.
I'd expect a much lighter filling in a pastry.

I try to catch the latest news in the People's
Daily (semi-official newspaper of the Communist
Party of China), and they recently had an article
about the new tax on moon cakes.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90780/7589199.html

Wow! Moon cakes are really expensive in China.
It's a ridiculous tax, for reasons mentioned in
the article. I suppose a "Moon Cake Party" could
get traction, until the authorities became aware
of it.

Next time I'm offered a sample, I'll take it.
I should re-evaluate whether they are really as
uninteresting as I recall.

I was thinking how a moon cake might be improved
in the direction I would like, and it occurred to
me that a lotus seed ganache might be interesting.
Googling "lotus seed ganache" gets exactly one hit
(probably more after I post this), so I'm not the
first person to think of this. I don't think I'll
bother trying to make it, though. Lotus seeds
don't have much flavor, nor an interesting texture.
Maybe I'll change my mind after having another
sample.

On Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:47:59 -0400, George <[email protected]>
wrote:

>I also like those types of fillings. Red bean is my favorite.

I love red bean filling. I love sesame seed balls filled with red
bean and those peach shaped red bean dumplings.

Tara

George wrote:
>
> On 9/6/2011 7:21 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> >
> > Either way, I don't much like them. They look
> > like fine pastries, and to Western sensibilities
> > anything that looks like that should be sweet and
> > luscious. Moon cakes are sweetened, but not
> > nearly as much as I'd expect in a pastry filling.
> > The filling is also dense, like peanut butter.
> > I'd expect a much lighter filling in a pastry.
>
> I am not big on pastries but what you described is the type I like. They
> don't add tons of sugar. With typical pastries I get the impression I
> could get the same result by getting a spoon and the sugar bowl.
>
> I also like those types of fillings. Red bean is my favorite. Each to
> his own I guess.

Then I guess you'd really like manju. I don't,
and for the same reasons I'm not fond of moon cake.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manj%C5%AB

Manju looks good, right up to the point where
you bite into it. Then you discover it's full of
bean paste.

Tara wrote:
>
> On Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:47:59 -0400, George <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >I also like those types of fillings. Red bean is my favorite.
>
> I love red bean filling. I love sesame seed balls filled with red
> bean and those peach shaped red bean dumplings.

Seioubo. Please don't look, Sheldon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Se...nal_sweets.jpg

i am hoping carol will come along with a japanese version/recipe, Lee
"Mark Thorson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> Tara wrote:
>>
>> On Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:47:59 -0400, George <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >I also like those types of fillings. Red bean is my favorite.
>>
>> I love red bean filling. I love sesame seed balls filled with red
>> bean and those peach shaped red bean dumplings.
>
> Seioubo. Please don't look, Sheldon.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Se...nal_sweets.jpg

On 9/6/2011 8:05 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> George wrote:
>>
>> On 9/6/2011 7:21 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
>>>
>>> Either way, I don't much like them. They look
>>> like fine pastries, and to Western sensibilities
>>> anything that looks like that should be sweet and
>>> luscious. Moon cakes are sweetened, but not
>>> nearly as much as I'd expect in a pastry filling.
>>> The filling is also dense, like peanut butter.
>>> I'd expect a much lighter filling in a pastry.
>>
>> I am not big on pastries but what you described is the type I like. They
>> don't add tons of sugar. With typical pastries I get the impression I
>> could get the same result by getting a spoon and the sugar bowl.
>>
>> I also like those types of fillings. Red bean is my favorite. Each to
>> his own I guess.
>
> Then I guess you'd really like manju. I don't,
> and for the same reasons I'm not fond of moon cake.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manj%C5%AB
>
> Manju looks good, right up to the point where
> you bite into it. Then you discover it's full of
> bean paste.

Good eating, not everyone wants super sweet stuff. I like manju and make
them often.

recipe please? Lee
"George" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:j47lnk$djn$[email protected]..
> On 9/6/2011 8:05 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
>> George wrote:
>>>
>>> On 9/6/2011 7:21 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Either way, I don't much like them. They look
>>>> like fine pastries, and to Western sensibilities
>>>> anything that looks like that should be sweet and
>>>> luscious. Moon cakes are sweetened, but not
>>>> nearly as much as I'd expect in a pastry filling.
>>>> The filling is also dense, like peanut butter.
>>>> I'd expect a much lighter filling in a pastry.
>>>
>>> I am not big on pastries but what you described is the type I like. They
>>> don't add tons of sugar. With typical pastries I get the impression I
>>> could get the same result by getting a spoon and the sugar bowl.
>>>
>>> I also like those types of fillings. Red bean is my favorite. Each to
>>> his own I guess.
>>
>> Then I guess you'd really like manju. I don't,
>> and for the same reasons I'm not fond of moon cake.
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manj%C5%AB
>>
>> Manju looks good, right up to the point where
>> you bite into it. Then you discover it's full of
>> bean paste.
>
> Good eating, not everyone wants super sweet stuff. I like manju and make
> them often.

On 9/7/2011 7:56 AM, Storrmmee wrote:
> recipe please? Lee

I do it just like this:

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/jap.../manjucake.htm

It is a basic dough with 4 ingredients.

Sometimes I make the bean paste and sometimes I just buy a can of it.

Kabocha filling is also good. Cook some peeled seeded kabocha and then
add sugar and mash. About 1/2 cup sugar per pound is good or to taste.

thanks filed for future reference, Lee
"George" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:j47o8d$uth$[email protected]..
> On 9/7/2011 7:56 AM, Storrmmee wrote:
>> recipe please? Lee
>
> I do it just like this:
>
> http://japanesefood.about.com/od/jap.../manjucake.htm
>
> It is a basic dough with 4 ingredients.
>
> Sometimes I make the bean paste and sometimes I just buy a can of it.
>
> Kabocha filling is also good. Cook some peeled seeded kabocha and then add
> sugar and mash. About 1/2 cup sugar per pound is good or to taste.

On Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:33:01 -0400, George <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On 9/7/2011 7:56 AM, Storrmmee wrote:
>> recipe please? Lee
>
>I do it just like this:
>
>http://japanesefood.about.com/od/jap.../manjucake.htm
>
>It is a basic dough with 4 ingredients.

Did you look that one over well? most of the reviewers aren't as
happy as a 3.9/5 stars would make you believe. A couple mention that
it is dark colored- a couple others that it tastes too much of baking
soda- others believe it should be rice flour rather than wheat.
>
>Sometimes I make the bean paste and sometimes I just buy a can of it.
>
>Kabocha filling is also good. Cook some peeled seeded kabocha and then
>add sugar and mash. About 1/2 cup sugar per pound is good or to taste.

Yum- I might try that variation while my beans are soaking.<g> I
think my Sweet Dumpling squash *belong* in a sweet dumpling.<g> [I
don't know why I didn't plant Kabocha-- maybe next year.]

Jim

'George[_1_ Wrote:
> ;1658191']On 9/6/2011 7:21 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:-
> It's moon cake season, as I can tell from the
> free samples passed out at the Asian food store
> on weekends. (Marina in Cupertino is best for
> samples, Maxim seldom has samples of anything,
> and Tin Tin closed several months ago.)
>
> After trying them once or twice, I turned them
> down because I thought they were made from bean
> paste and I don't eat beans. However, Wikipedia
> informs me that traditionally they are made from
> lotus seed paste, but cheaper ones may have white
> kidney beans added as a filler.
>
> Either way, I don't much like them. They look
> like fine pastries, and to Western sensibilities
> anything that looks like that should be sweet and
> luscious. Moon cakes are sweetened, but not
> nearly as much as I'd expect in a pastry filling.
> The filling is also dense, like peanut butter.
> I'd expect a much lighter filling in a pastry.-
>
> I am not big on pastries but what you described is the type I like. They
>
> don't add tons of sugar. With typical pastries I get the impression I
> could get the same result by getting a spoon and the sugar bowl.
>
> I also like those types of fillings. Red bean is my favorite. Each to
> his own I guess.
> -
>
> I try to catch the latest news in the People's
> Daily (semi-official newspaper of the Communist
> Party of China), and they recently had an article
> about the new tax on moon cakes.
>
> 'Let them eat cake, after tax - People's Daily Online'
> (http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90780/7589199.html)
>
> Wow! Moon cakes are really expensive in China.
> It's a ridiculous tax, for reasons mentioned in
> the article. I suppose a "Moon Cake Party" could
> get traction, until the authorities became aware
> of it.
>
> Next time I'm offered a sample, I'll take it.
> I should re-evaluate whether they are really as
> uninteresting as I recall.
>
> I was thinking how a moon cake might be improved
> in the direction I would like, and it occurred to
> me that a lotus seed ganache might be interesting.
> Googling "lotus seed ganache" gets exactly one hit
> (probably more after I post this), so I'm not the
> first person to think of this. I don't think I'll
> bother trying to make it, though. Lotus seeds
> don't have much flavor, nor an interesting texture.
> Maybe I'll change my mind after having another
> sample.-

What's the nutritional value of a Moon Cake? I'm trying to find a way to
talk myself into believing just a little bit of Moon Cake won't hurt.




--
monicakendle

Mark Thorson wrote:
> It's moon cake season, as I can tell from the
> free samples passed out at the Asian food store
> on weekends. (Marina in Cupertino is best for
> samples, Maxim seldom has samples of anything,
> and Tin Tin closed several months ago.)
>
> After trying them once or twice, I turned them
> down because I thought they were made from bean
> paste and I don't eat beans. However, Wikipedia
> informs me that traditionally they are made from
> lotus seed paste, but cheaper ones may have white
> kidney beans added as a filler.
>
> Either way, I don't much like them. They look
> like fine pastries, and to Western sensibilities
> anything that looks like that should be sweet and
> luscious. Moon cakes are sweetened, but not
> nearly as much as I'd expect in a pastry filling.
> The filling is also dense, like peanut butter.
> I'd expect a much lighter filling in a pastry.
>
> I try to catch the latest news in the People's
> Daily (semi-official newspaper of the Communist
> Party of China), and they recently had an article
> about the new tax on moon cakes.
>
> http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90780/7589199.html
>
> Wow! Moon cakes are really expensive in China.
> It's a ridiculous tax, for reasons mentioned in
> the article. I suppose a "Moon Cake Party" could
> get traction, until the authorities became aware
> of it.
>
> Next time I'm offered a sample, I'll take it.
> I should re-evaluate whether they are really as
> uninteresting as I recall.
>
> I was thinking how a moon cake might be improved
> in the direction I would like, and it occurred to
> me that a lotus seed ganache might be interesting.
> Googling "lotus seed ganache" gets exactly one hit
> (probably more after I post this), so I'm not the
> first person to think of this. I don't think I'll
> bother trying to make it, though. Lotus seeds
> don't have much flavor, nor an interesting texture.
> Maybe I'll change my mind after having another
> sample.

I have to concur. I have bought moon cakes several times,
thinking that surely the boring ones I've had must be anomalies.
That seems not to be the case.

--
Jean B.

Mark Thorson wrote:
> George wrote:
>> On 9/6/2011 7:21 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
>>> Either way, I don't much like them. They look
>>> like fine pastries, and to Western sensibilities
>>> anything that looks like that should be sweet and
>>> luscious. Moon cakes are sweetened, but not
>>> nearly as much as I'd expect in a pastry filling.
>>> The filling is also dense, like peanut butter.
>>> I'd expect a much lighter filling in a pastry.
>> I am not big on pastries but what you described is the type I like. They
>> don't add tons of sugar. With typical pastries I get the impression I
>> could get the same result by getting a spoon and the sugar bowl.
>>
>> I also like those types of fillings. Red bean is my favorite. Each to
>> his own I guess.
>
> Then I guess you'd really like manju. I don't,
> and for the same reasons I'm not fond of moon cake.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manj%C5%AB
>
> Manju looks good, right up to the point where
> you bite into it. Then you discover it's full of
> bean paste.

I should add that I rather LIKE various bean paste offerings, but
that does not extend to moon cakes. Their fillings are denser and
less flavorful than, say, those in mochi.

--
Jean B.

On 9/7/2011 10:00 AM, Jean B. wrote:
>
> I should add that I rather LIKE various bean paste offerings, but that
> does not extend to moon cakes. Their fillings are denser and less
> flavorful than, say, those in mochi.
>

I think that stuff you're talking about is black sugar filling. I'm not
a big fan of that. I do like the fruity filling that they add to the
Chinese wedding cakes, which is quite similar to a moon cake except for
the filling.

I used to like the green mochi with the white bean filling when I was a
kid and never did like the azuki filling. These days I'm appreciating
the azuki filling more. They make a mochi with peanut butter filling
that evidently, people like but it's kinda repulsive to me.

We can get manju, mochi, and dorayaki in most stores. Boy I could go for
a dorayaki right now!

On 9/7/2011 11:19 AM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
> On Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:33:01 -0400, George<[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> On 9/7/2011 7:56 AM, Storrmmee wrote:
>>> recipe please? Lee
>>
>> I do it just like this:
>>
>> http://japanesefood.about.com/od/jap.../manjucake.htm
>>
>> It is a basic dough with 4 ingredients.
>
> Did you look that one over well? most of the reviewers aren't as
> happy as a 3.9/5 stars would make you believe. A couple mention that
> it is dark colored- a couple others that it tastes too much of baking
> soda- others believe it should be rice flour rather than wheat.
>>
>> Sometimes I make the bean paste and sometimes I just buy a can of it.
>>
>> Kabocha filling is also good. Cook some peeled seeded kabocha and then
>> add sugar and mash. About 1/2 cup sugar per pound is good or to taste.
>
> Yum- I might try that variation while my beans are soaking.<g> I
> think my Sweet Dumpling squash *belong* in a sweet dumpling.<g> [I
> don't know why I didn't plant Kabocha-- maybe next year.]
>
> Jim

Good catch, the ingredients were correct but I use half of the amount of
baking powder listed.