you know, growing up in Hong Kong, never ever anyone in my life ever considered making mooncake at home. Everyone just tries to find the best place to buy their mooncakes. People who made their own and share them are unicorns. So imagine how weird it is to watch Josh making this
Well less weird cause at least for me I don’t see local Asian markets selling mooncakes where I am. But maybe they sell out fast. I get what you mean but if you don’t have anywhere near to to buy them, making them yourself is an option
because people in HK is busy af😂 Mid-Autumn Festival is arguably one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture and we don’t even get a day off on the day. We get it the day after the festival. This frustrates me since I was a kid
The use of lye water in the recipe, while traditional, is actually a culinary myth. Lye water is thought to promote browning of the pastry skin in the same way that pretzels are dipped in lye water before baking to achieve that deep brown colour. However, as you can see from the mooncakes in the video, those didn’t turn out very brown at all. The colouration is due mostly to the egg wash and not the lye water. To achieve the colour that you see in the commercial bakeries, ditch the golden syrup and lye water and use the same quantity of treacle, molasses or a very dark honey instead. The mooncakes also looked a bit thin. This is due to the wrong size press being used (too big) or the mooncakes being too small. Every press will have a number, usually stated in grammes somewhere on the outside and this is the total weight of the filling and pastry skin for each mooncake that will comfortably fit in the press. The size of the presses are usually multiples of 50g up to about 250g. A ratio of 50% filling and 50% pastry skin by weight is usual but you can go up to 60% filling and 40% pastry skin, bearing in mind, the thinner the pastry skin, the more elegant the mooncakes will be. And on the subject of thin pastry skins, the video appeared to omit the need for resting time when making the pastry skin. This step is critical. Once the dough is made, it needs to rest for 30 mins to an hour at room temperature before using it to wrap the filling. If you have a well-rested dough, you won’t need the cling wrap at all. You should be able to form a “cup “ of dough with your hands into which the ball of filling goes into. Finally, the reason why the mooncakes shouldn’t be eaten immediately after baking is because of a process known as 回油 or literally “returning oil”. It’s traditional to allow the mooncakes to rest at room temperature (and not in the refrigerator) so that the oil from the filling has a chance to permeate and moisturise the pastry skin. Which is why when you’re making the filling, while it’s possible to drastically reduce the amount of oil used in making the filling (in fact, the Japanese method of making red bean anko uses no oil at all!), it’s best not to skimp on the oil because it’s helps the pastry skin to achieve the level of moisture needed. On the subject of red bean and lotus see pastes, substitute dark brown sugar for white sugar in the red bean baste and that makes for a tastier red bean paste. The lotus paste in the video is what’s known as “white” lotus paste. Traditional “golden” lotus paste is made in the same way except instead of granulated/caster sugar, the sugar is cooked into a (dry) caramel before being added to the lotus seed purée, which is then cooked into the paste like is shown in the video. White lotus is useful if you want to add mix-ins such as matcha powder or pandan. And don’t forget the seeds/nuts in the lotus paste. Use whatever you like. Shelled melon seeds are traditional but 🤢🤮. I put toasted pine nuts, sunflower seeds or macadamia nuts in mine 😋
Kate Kramer Lye water is definitely optional, especially if you’re using molasses or treacle. The traditional recipe calls for invert sugar rather than golden syrup and it may well be that golden syrup contains invert sugar but invert sugar is something you can easily make at home by heating a sugar syrup with lemon juice until it turns a golden colour and then leaving it to cool. You can choose to neutralise the lemon juice with some bicarbonate of sofa but that’s optional.
yue 月 literally is chinese for moon and moon cake is called 'yue bing月饼' ， and in chinese mystry, there is a lady in the moon. named 嫦娥 who has similar cloth with what yue wear in swamp episode.
How many food channels are you watching? It seems lime you're everywhere. Also, read the last chapter of the Shokugeki manga and record it. You'll love it
There’s different mooncake varieties depending on the Chinese dialect groups. The ones that contain salted egg yolk are from the Cantonese; while the Hokkien, Hakka, Teochew and Shanghainese each have their own varieties. We Malaysians even make them using agar-agar or snow skin (yum!) and unconventional filling flavours such as matcha, milk tea and some from fruit purées (including the infamous durian)! They contain considerably less calories as opposed to the traditional ones. Sadly Joshua, you missed the date to upload the video haha. The Mid autumn festival just passed, it was on the 1st of October this year. Nevertheless, great video! 祝你中秋節快樂，家好月圓人團圓！🥮🏮 Happy Mid Autumn Festival and send my regards to your family!
Hoàng Anh Nguyễn same here! The younger Chinese community hates the mixed nut flavour (五仁) but I love them! But I have to admit, the unconventional flavours do excite me as well.
@@gp2779 the traditional kinda remind me of my childhood. But our unconventional flavours might be their traditional and their next generation might think it's taste too boring, then they gonna find out the real traditional it's so good =)))
I'm from Trinidad and Tobago and the first time I've heard of mooncakes was when I was like 8 watching WENDY WU Homecoming Warrior on Disney Channel and I have always wondered what they taste like. So thank you for this. Brings back memories, I will try and make this...one day.
Its like a chocolate chip cookie with no chocolate chips and more crumbly with a really thick and somewhat sweet paste with a slight aroma (depends on what filling) i dont like it too much, just not my favorite. Nian gao is my favorite.
I've had ones filled with white lotus seed paste... The taste is oddly reminiscent of sweetened peanut butter, with a texture like a brownie. Pretty amazing, but I can't handle eating more than half of one at once- it's so rich I feel like my brain will shut down from the intensity!
It was awesome to stumble on this video. Quick note: My grandmother used to make these from scratch. She didn't use egg wash during baking (because it risks losing design). She used a simple syrup made of thinned golden syrup.
eBay and Amazon should have them if you put it in the search most likely they’re made in China or shipped from Asia where moon cake making is popular some USA sellers but shipping should be a while
@@chrisll5229 nah, those are in the USA. It takes months and costs a fortune to ship anything out of the USA cos they have a raging covid pandemic there.
damnnnn as fan from Hong Kong, I approved your mooncake is legit!!! btw I dont really think we would put salted duck egg yolk in the red bean paste one, but 100% in the lotus bean one. you will find the tastiness into a whole new level. There are two ways to do that tho, you can stuff the whole egg yolk in the cake (traditional one), or smash the egg yolk into a paste and mix with little sugar and milk to be (奶皇), this is the lighter one and more popular one in recent years.
@@ilikecherries3866 美心 is actually just alright or actually below standard one. there are actually like 50 more better brands in HK which can be named easily XD
Watching this, you realize that Joshua and Gordon Ramsey are the very few non-Asian chefs who actually take the time to research on how to make actual authentic Asian food, using the correct ingredients and procedures. No wonder they're so respected.
My family is chinese and I grew up with mooncakes and these look super authentic. My mother gave this recipe the nod of approval. I really live for these authentic, no-skimping recipes that we can learn from. I mean this is the cultural diffusion of America at its finest. Love it. Keep up the amazing work!!
@@zhixiangren4580 all i know is the executive chef doesn’t cook, he runs the kitchen, takes care and manage the cost and expenses, and stuff. Remember one of Spongebob episode about chef exchange where he cooks in a fancy restaurant? The guy who yells at him for making a burger is the executive chef. Correct me if im wrong.
@@lilybrandsma3404 I imagine it'd be making them using the commonly used patterns for the press, in the same manner that is done by natives (I.E populations that commonly produce the food for religious or traditional reasons). I disagree with the respect part - you could do whatever fusion you'd want, even a double moka latte frappachino extra cream gluten free with sprinkles, and technically it'd be mooncakes as long as the dough is right and the shape is right, but it would not be "OG mooncakes". Better to say: "Finally(,) a non-Chinese (individual) that actually know(s) how to do (make/prepare) Chinese food (cuisine/cooking) respectfully (in the traditional style) !(!!)"
@@lilybrandsma3404 I know this is an older comment but if you're still curious I wanted to answer haha. Since mooncakes are a dessert they're open to more interpretations even in China. Josh has made more traditional mooncakes which is great because it shows he's properly researched the culture, but starbucks in China for example sells ice cream mooncakes that are strawberry or chocolate flavoured (made with Western influenced ingredients so to say.) An example of a good way vs a less ideal way to cook Chinese food would be Gordon Ramsey vs Jamie Oliver's how to cook fried rice videos haha.
Just imagine all those holes in your skin. Are they caused by a disease? Or perhaps man-eating bugs have drilled into your skin and laid their maggots in the holes?
Hi Joshua, we commonly use lard in China for both the fillings and the wrappers, and traditionally, aged mandarin skin is added into the red bean paste for depth of flavor and citrus aroma. For the lotus seed filling, we love having a salted duck egg yolk on the inside as well. Overall, great job man!!!
I lived in Hong Kong for several years in the 1980s and of course I ate Moon Cakes once a year during the Autumn Moon Festival. It was often said that you eat Moon Cakes just once a year because that's how long it takes to fully digest them!!!
My family is West-Indian and in the Caribbean we have our own take on Chinese Mooncakes. The recipe is very similar but made with local Caribbean ingredients. We call them “black eye” which is short for “black eye cake”
I'm a cantonese person and I can say that you ALMOST perfected these moon cakes! they're absolutely gorgeous and I look forward to even more of your cooking!
This is the Cantonese version. The other well known versions have the dough thats more like a puff pastry as they kinda use the dough butter dough method. And those u can make savory with beef or pork :)
Thanks for this video! I’ve made it from scratch many moons ago! (Like 30 years ago!) I made my dough with flour, eggs and molasses! I had the traditional wooden molds that you inverted and banged on a table to get the pastry out!
Also can I just say the quality of your videos is incredible. I've been here for awhile and the quality has improved so much without losing the integrity and passion for cooking! These videos are WORKS of ART now. Keep it up!!
DEAREST JOSH. , YOU NEED TO " SLOW DOWN THE TALKING AND YOUR VOICE IS SO ANNOYING . LEARN AND LISTEN TO YOUR VIEWERS OR YOU'LL GO DOWN TO " NOTHING ! " THIS IS " CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM . " TO MAKE YOU " IMPROVE . " RIGHT NOW , YOU HAVE A " FAILING GRADE . "
You can also cook those beans in 45 minutes (+20 for cool down) in any pressure cooker without the overnight soak. Throw an orange peel (dried or fresh) into the pressure cooker with the red beans for a really nice fragrance.
I've never eaten nor made mooncakes before, but whenever I make someone with a recipe it always turns out great! Considering I'm finally celebrating the festival's I've always wanted to celebrate I'm making mooncakes for the mid Autumn festival on September 10th!
I tried these for the first time just this week! I despise red bean paste in any other form but it was AMAZING in moon cakes. I've been craving more ever since 🤤
he makes it seem so easy. here i am at 2:20 in the morning finally baking after starting this recipe yesterday morning. i got some very nice looking mooncakes. still baking, so let's see how they come out.
Some non traditional bakeries do use chocolate/chocolate ice cream fillings. Which is a good thing since moon cake used to be one of the most re-gifted gifts in Chinese history. Not that it is bad, you just receive so damn many boxes every year. And since these things are so damn rich you only have appetite for 1 or 2 pieces per year. So it was a godsend when someone came up with alternative flavors back in the 90s.
Just made this last Monday and my friends love it! Something I discovered, the mooncake still taste great 5th day. Like wine it tasted even better days after. Second day not so third day oooooh perfection! Wrapped them individually with cling film and EVEN in the fridge that made it last longer, and they’re still tasting good.
By the way, can I know how many mooncakes did you made from one batch of recipe? I want to try it tmr but i need to know if it will be sufficient for the family 😅
This is my 2nd year of making mooncakes with this recipe. I'd never heard of them before, but my boss lives in Malaysia and said we should get some for our clients. I couldn't find any in the UK, so I said I'd make them. His response was I've never heard of anyone making them before doubt you will find the ingredients. Here I am making my next batch. I love the lotus seed paste, not bothered about the egg yolk, but hey-ho another year of mooncakes.
Fun fact about the cat's names! Sagwa means stupid and Dongwa means winter melon, or airhead. My Malaysian dad started laughing at their names when we were watching that show and he's only explained why in recent years.
Mad respect for cultured Josh. A lot of people don't even know what mooncakes are. They're like "Is it like moonpies or something?". Not to mention making the paste from scratch. Bravo man
@@LeukipposOfAbdera Idk, kinda sounded like a Betty impression to me. I don't remember any particular ties to moon cakes in that movie other than China, but still
My kids loved the Over the Moon movie. We had never heard of mooncakes before. I have been wanting to make them! I just bought everything to make them! I stopped at 4 out of 5 asian markets near me and none had lye water or the golden syrup so i will be making my own lye water and i bought the golden syrup on amazon. I am so excited to make these and they will be ready on Tuesday for the festival! I loved the video. I cannot wait to try these. I have never had one before.
@@Rvk1a64 they liked them a lot. My older one was more picky with them. I loved them too! I made them two more times since then. I just put the extra filling in the freezer
Fly me to the moon Let me play among the stars Let me see what spring is like On a, Jupiter and Mars In other words, hold my hand In other words, baby, kiss me Fill my heart with song And let me sing for ever more You are all I long for All I worship and adore In other words, please be true In other words, I love you Fill my heart with song Let me sing for ever more You are all I long for All I worship and adore In other words, please be true In other words, in other words I love you.
餅 is more commonly referred to as ‘biscuit/cookie’ we would use 糕 (gāo) if referring to cakes However in this context of ‘mooncake’, 餅 is usually translated to as ‘cake’
Disclaimer: if you want to make your own red bean paste, be sure to mentally and physically prepare yourself. I had to make red bean paste for a recipe one time and it was so difficult and physically draining. It takes a really long time to make so make sure you have enough time ahead of you. For now on I decided I would either make someone else make the paste for me, or I would buy it. So beware of the struggles of red bean paste!!!
There are other ways to make the red bean paste (with sugar slices and rock sugar) that are easier than this one. I would scorch the heck out of my bean paste, and then I would cry.
My mom always just cook in a slow cooker. Even faster a pressure cooker. You don’t really have to keep watching over. It really depends what tools you have.
@@tvtvtfan3767 I was wondering when I was watching this, why not use a pressure cooker for the azuki and lotus (not together, of course). I mean, I use it to cook dried beans for my baked bean recipe, so why not?
i remember when i was in girls scouts we tasted sweets from different girl scouts around the world and i got to have a mooncake and it was so good it was the only moon cake ive ever had and i still remember the taste (it was a salted egg yolk mooncake)
i'm taking chinese as an elective and my teacher is this tiny (literally she's gotta be 4 foot 10 she's so short) little young chinese woman who is so chill and is super nice and laughs at our jokes and anYWAYS. we were learning about the Mid-Autumn Festival and about the holiday and stuff, and she brought us moon cakes :) it was this huge ass box that had like 50 moon cakes for a class of 15 kids, and SHE LET US TAKE HOWEVER MANY WE WANTED IT WAS THE BEST I MISS THOSE MOON CAKES and yeah so this video reminded me of that and now i'm craving the mooncakes we had.
Peanut oil is one of the best oils. Especially when movie theaters have their "butter" made with it. It's so tasty. And I don't even care that it's not real butter. It tastes amazing because of that peanutty taste.
These are great! Lotus seed is my absolute favorite, and i look forward to it every year. Please also consider Yunnan-style mooncakes! They have a meat based filling!
Mung bean is nicer than red bean but I like 5-nut the best. If only I could figure out what to do with the rest of the jar of rose syrup other than making more mooncakes.
Amazing syrup to have around handy. That caramel smell it exudes is heavenly. Especially great when paired with desiccated coconut and butter in an ANZAC biscuit.
Yeah it’s widely available in England (and I’m talking most shops here, it’s a staple) but I’ve heard that corn syrup is often used as a replacement if that helps at all
@@yian1787 Oh. That makes sense. Our mooncakes here are slightly taller then the one Josh made. About a quarter of two stake up -idk if that make any sense lol-
When I was growing up in a small province in the Philippines we had those mooncakes that you made and called it Hopiang Hapon (Japanese hopia), also without the eggs. I never knew that Hopiang Hapon and mooncakes are similar.
I actually would see your channel around and get anxious because mooncake is probably one of the most iconic cultural dishes we have, but yeah these are legit. As you said squashing it more makes the pattern come out better, if a lil flatter.
