It’s the time of the year that marks the end of autumn harvest, and where families and friends sit together by the soft glow of the bright full moon and paper lanterns, sipping on tea and nibbling on mooncakes to celebrate Mid-Autumn festival.
Not your usual cup of tea
Mooncakes are undoubtedly the main highlight of this festival and over the years, the traditional baked lotus paste mooncake has evolved into several more renditions of different shapes, colours and flavours. While a strong, palate-cleansing cup of Chinese tea is the go-to tea to enjoy the occasion, our team is here to guide you on how to layer and pair our Monogram teas with the various types of mooncakes.
Cantonese Mooncake – A taste of tradition
A traditional Chinese pastry that is round and usually shared among family and friends, mooncakes are associated with the idea of roundness as a symbol of reunion and happiness. Out of all the various types of mooncakes, the classic treat is the Cantonese mooncake – easily characterised by its golden-brown lotus-like shape, with a decorative embossed pattern on top, encasing a sweet filling such as lotus seed paste with one or two salted egg yolks in the middle.
Sweet and savoury, traditional Cantonese mooncakes with salted egg yolks are a delight to enjoy, but are also sneaky calorie bombs that can load you up on sugar and fat! To indulge in your baked mooncake in moderation, we recommend pairing it Uji Sencha with Rose of Ariana…
And if you’re skipping the golden salted egg yolks, don’t worry! You are still in for a treat – enjoy the sweet creaminess of the pure lotus seed paste and sip on some Snow Peony with Provencal Herbs as you get a whiff of sparkling citrus notes while you nibble on the delicacy.
Teochew Mooncake – The art of traditional craftsmanship
Unlike the Cantonese mooncake which uses lotus paste as the filling, the Teochew mooncake is usually filled with sweeten yam, red bean or mung bean paste and a scrumptious salted egg yolk, with a spiral-like flaky crust that wraps around the sweet filling. The Teochew mooncake can also be seen as the epitome of traditional craftsmanship – with alternating layers that spirals, giving an illusion of infinite layers and hence was nicknamed the “thousand-layer mooncake’. To appreciate the finesse of this impressive mooncake, we would recommend Jasmine Silk Pearls, an aromatic green tea infused with graceful notes of midnight jasmine. Consider layering it with Rose of Ariana as well for a harmonious floral union.
Snow skin Mooncake – Marvels of creativity
Rising in popularity are snow skin mooncakes, also known as crystal mooncakes. Snow skin mooncakes tend to resemble soft, chewy mochi, with its delicate skin made from roasted glutinous rice flour, giving it that soft texture and distinct fragrance. A total opposite of traditional Cantonese and Teochew mooncakes, snow skin mooncakes break the tradition as it is non-baked and come in a myriad of pastel colours and unique flavours, ranging from the familiar sweet lotus and egg yolk combination, to experimental flavours like mango pomelo, or even champagne truffle!
As the countless possibilities of snow skin mooncake variations are made available in today’s market, it might be tough for one to find that perfect cup of tea to pair with these delicate treats. If you’re having a fruity based snow skin mooncake, try layering Earl Grey Neroli with Saffronais and treat your sense to an exclusive journey.
Thinking of going for something creamy? Consider pairing it with our Milky Oolong and let the velvety vanilla and subtle floral notes encapsulate your palate. Should you want to tantalize your taste buds further, layer Milky Oolong with Provencal Herbs for a delicious dose of vanilla and citrus herbs.
Let your Mid-Autumn celebrations go into full swing with Monogram’s range of finest handpicked teas and herbs, get playful and dynamic by pairing our teas with the myriad of mooncake flavours available out there!
May the glow of the moon surround you and light your way to health, happiness and prosperity!
– LX