1. Classification of moon cakes
There are many kinds of moon cakes in China, including Beijing, Guangdong, Soviet, desktop, Yunnan, Hong Kong, Chaozhou and even Japanese. As far as taste is concerned, it has sweetness, salty taste, salty sweetness and spicy taste; From the filling heart, there are five kernels, red bean paste, rock sugar, sesame seeds, ham moon cakes and so on; According to the crust, there are three categories: pulp crust, mixed sugar crust and crispy crust; The related classifications are as follows:
(1) Cantonese moon cakes. Cantonese-style moon cakes are the largest kind of moon cakes at present. They originated in Guangdong and its surrounding areas and have been popular all over the country. They are characterized by thin skin and large stuffing. Usually, the ratio of skin to stuffing is 2: 8, and the oil content of skin stuffing is higher than other kinds. They taste soft, smooth and have outstanding surface luster. The outstanding representatives are Bailianrong moon cakes from Lianxianglou and Guangzhou restaurants.
(2) Beijing-style moon cakes. Beijing-style moon cakes originated in Beijing and Tianjin and its surrounding areas, and have a certain market in the north. Their main characteristics are moderate sweetness and the ratio of skin to stuffing, which is generally 4: 6. They are mainly filled with special flavor and have a crisp taste. The main products are Zilai red moon cakes, Zilai white moon cakes and Wuren moon cakes in Daoxiang Village, Beijing.
(3) Su-style moon cakes. Su-style moon cakes originated in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and surrounding areas. Their main features are loose skin and vegetables, stuffing with five kernels and bean paste, and their sweetness is higher than other kinds of moon cakes. The main products are Su-style moon cakes produced by Limin in Hangzhou.
(4) Yunnan-style moon cakes. Yunnan-style moon cakes are mainly originated and popular in Yunnan, Guizhou and surrounding areas, and now they are gradually liked by consumers in other areas. Their main features are that Yunnan-style ham is used as the filling, and the cake skin and vegetables are loose, and the filling is salty and sweet, with a unique flavor of Yunnan-style ham. The main product is Yuntui moon cakes produced by Jiqingxiang, Kunming.
other moon cakes. Other types of mooncakes are relatively few, such as ice-skin mooncakes, fruit and vegetable mooncakes, seafood mooncakes, coconut milk mooncakes, tea mooncakes, etc.
2. How to choose mooncakes
1. Look at the brands and try to choose those products with famous brands and time-honored brands.
2. Look at the trademark and buy products with complete production logo specifications.
3. Look at the production date and shelf life.
3. Identification of moon cakes
Look at the appearance. First of all, the block size of moon cakes is even and full. The surface of Cantonese-style moon cake is light brown, the vertical wall is milky yellow, the egg paste is evenly spread, and the pattern is marked with the name of the factory and the stuffing. Beijing-style moon cakes have no patterns and names. For example, the natural red face is brown, not only bald, not raw, not paste, not running sugar, not showing the stuffing.
smell the smell. Fresh quality moon cakes can give off a unique tangy smell of moon cakes. Because of different raw materials, the skin stuffing has different smells. If the moon cakes are made of inferior raw materials or stored for a long time, they will smell a peculiar smell or smell.
the third is tasting. Generally, Cantonese-style moon cakes are thin-skinned and stuffed, with pure taste and soft and refreshing taste. The stuffing is mainly lotus seed paste, coconut paste, egg yolk, fruit and various kinds of meat stuffing, which is moderately sweet and salty. The skin stuffing of Beijing-style moon cakes is elaborate and complicated. There are four kinds of mooncake skins: oily skin, crispy skin, clear skin and Jingguang skin. The stuffing is divided into three categories: refined stuffing, fried stuffing and rubbed stuffing. The stuffing contains more fruit materials. After cutting, you can see peach kernel, melon kernel, hemp seed, sweet-scented osmanthus, green and red silk and all kinds of fruit materials. Zilai red moon cake also contains rock sugar, which is crisp and delicious, soft and delicate. Poor-quality moon cakes are not only tough but also have a bitter taste.
Fourth, the correct consumption of moon cakes
In recent years, there are many kinds of moon cakes in the market, including sugar-free moon cakes, ice-covered moon cakes, fruit moon cakes, miscellaneous grains moon cakes, vegetarian moon cakes, flowers moon cakes and edible fungi moon cakes, which are suitable for different people. According to reports, if you eat moon cakes with green tea, one can relieve greasy and help digestion, and the other can chew slowly and add flavor to the fun. Generally speaking, it is better to drink oolong tea for salty moon cakes, and it is better to drink scented tea for sweet moon cakes.