Cantonese mooncakes: Originating from Guangdong, they are characterized by thin skin and multiple fillings, smooth and soft oil, and classic flavors such as white lotus seed paste, five kernels, bean paste, and double yellow lotus seed paste. They represent products from Guangzhou Lianxianglou and Guangzhou Restaurant; The characteristic mooncakes in Guangdong region are made from wheat flour or plant flour, syrup, edible vegetable oil, etc. as the main raw materials to make the crust. The filling is particularly rich and the taste is soft; Popular in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, it has thin skin and many fillings. Common flavors include lotus seed and five kernels.
Cantonese mooncakes, as a unique specialty of Guangdong, have a long history and rich cultural connotations. Here is an introduction to Cantonese mooncakes:
1、 Origin and History
Cantonese mooncakes originated in the western part of Guangzhou in the 15th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1889). They were created by a pastry shop called "Gao Su Guan" and have now developed into the famous "Lian Xiang Lou". Cantonese mooncakes gradually took shape during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty and quickly spread in Guangdong and surrounding areas due to their unique taste and exquisite appearance.
2、 Characteristics
Thin and Soft Skin: The skin of Cantonese mooncakes is made from materials such as wheat flour, converted syrup, and vegetable oil. After special processing, the skin of the mooncakes is thin and soft, with an excellent taste.
Rich fillings: Cantonese mooncakes have a wide variety of fillings, including lotus, bean paste, five kernels, winter Rong, fruit and other flavors. Among them, lotus paste filling is a representative of Cantonese mooncakes, made by boiling lotus seeds, with a delicate taste and moderate sweetness.
Beautiful appearance: Cantonese mooncakes have a beautiful and elegant appearance, with exquisite patterns and clear patterns, giving people a sense of nobility and elegance as a whole. The surface of mooncakes is usually printed with various auspicious patterns and words, such as "fu", "shou", "reunion", etc., symbolizing good wishes.
Convenient to carry: The Cantonese style moon cakes are well packaged and easy to carry. They are good gifts during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Meanwhile, the shelf life of Cantonese mooncakes is relatively long, and they can be stored for several months, making it convenient for people to taste them at any time.
3、 Classification
Cantonese mooncakes can be divided into two categories based on the different fillings: lotus paste filling and miscellaneous filling. Among them, lotus paste filled mooncakes are representative of Cantonese mooncakes, while mixed paste mooncakes include various flavors such as bean paste, five kernels, winter paste, and fruit. In addition, as a branch of Cantonese mooncakes, Hong Kong style mooncakes have also given birth to many new styles of Cantonese mooncakes, such as Flowing Heart Milk Yellow Mooncakes, Ice Skin Mooncakes, etc.
4、 Cultural significance
Cantonese mooncakes are not only the traditional food during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but also an important part of Guangdong culture. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people usually send Cantonese style moon cakes to express their wishes and thoughts to their relatives and friends. At the same time, Cantonese mooncakes also carry the pursuit and longing of Guangdong people for a better life.
To sum up, with its unique taste, exquisite appearance and rich cultural connotation, Cantonese style moon cakes have become one of the indispensable traditional foods during the Mid-Autumn Festival.