The cake that toppled a dynasty.
After a long summer break, it’s time to get back into rhythm again. It’s time to get back those calories lost in your vegan detox retreat. And what is better than mooncakes. Below is a chart of how efficient mooncakes are at getting those calories back.
So I opened this Grand Imperial Mooncake, closed my eyes and had a bite.
I was a commoner in China, during the Yuan dynasty (the one before the Ming dynasty). One day, we were told by our village elders that a plague has spread across China. Many people have died.
All the best doctors in the land have worked together to come up with an antidote. It’s in the form of a round cake, called mooncake. Millions of mooncake are being distributed across the country to every household. Eating it would guarantee immunity and survival.
The next day, the mooncake was delivered to my household. We quickly cut it open to share with the family.
Oh, what is this. There’s a secret message hidden in the mooncake. It says to attack certain officials to overthrow the dynasty. About time too! Our lives have been very hard under this dynasty. It’s time that they should be removed.
On the specified day, officials across the land were killed or captured in a synchronized attack. It’s like an ancient version of a flash mob. The dynasty was overthrown and a new emperor rose to the throne. Let’s celebrate by eating mooncakes!
Which is what I did. This mooncake was snowskin lotus paste with a sesame centre. The skin was nice – chewy and soft. The lotus paste tasted good. The centre sesame ball (which replaced the traditional egg yolk) had a nice smell and taste, without being overpowering. The sweetness level was just right, not overly sweet. A very nice mooncake to celebrate a happy event.
I received this mooncake from a relative who received it as a gift in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
By the way, this is based on a folk tale of the history of mooncakes.