Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

INTRODUCTION

If you asked me if this mooncake taste nice? I will answer yes especially if you like the traditional Teochew mooncake – la pia (朥饼)。For Teochew La Pia recipe, you can refer to this post: Teochew Traditional Moon cake (潮汕朥饼)

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

However, I am rather uneasy to issue this recipe because I cannot find the right positioning or classification of this mooncake. I have no justification that this mooncake belong to Teochew cuisines.

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

This recipe was circulated in Chinese Facebook group and a few Chinese bloggers who claimed that this is “Teochew Mei Cai Mooncake” or “潮州梅菜月饼“。Facebook member are selling the mooncake in West Malaysia but I cannot find any additional information pertaining to this mooncake besides from the few Malaysian Chinese bloggers. I posted in Facebook at Taiwanese group, Hong Kong Group, Singapore Teochew Group, no member have ever seen that..

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

I Google hard in the internet, I cannot find images also. The nearest I can find is Suzhou style Mei Cai fresh meat mooncake (苏式梅菜鲜肉月饼) but that is savoury and used fresh meat just like in the picture above. Though Teochew mooncake is famous for their flaky crust, Suzhou mooncake also have flaky crust and the method of preparation are similar.

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

After much ponder, the only justification I have is it is a regional mooncake possibly common in  Setapak, Kuala Lumpur and promoted by a Teochew restaurant in Malaysia. It can be this restaurant’s own creation by mixing mei cai to the sweet tausa filling but the label did not label it as Teochew mooncake.  Most will know meicai is well liked by Hakka and Cantonese and there are minimum Teochew cuisines uses meicai but why others termed them as Teochew mooncake?

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

Therefore, I have firmly decided not to term this mooncake to have any Teochew relations because I strongly believed it is linked to the Suzhou style instead of Teochew style.. Cakes prepared by a Teochew restaurant does not mean it is of Teochew origin and it can be a fusion unless it is documented somewhere about the origin. Whatever it is, for those who want a change, you can try this mooncake.

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)


WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: Prepared 4 small mooncake

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

  • 150 grams of mung bean paste
  • 50 grams of mei cai (梅菜)preferably sweet mei cai
  • 20 grams of toasted white sesame seeds
  • 35 grams of candied winter melon cubes
  • 10 grams of candied tangerine (optional)

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

Oil Dough

  • 50 grams of plain flour (普通面粉)
  • 25 grams of vegetable shortening or lard or peanut oil or other fats (白油或猪油或其他油)

Water dough:

  • 50 grams of plain flour (普通面粉)
  • 15 grams of vegetable shortening or lard or peanut oil or other fats (白油或猪油或其他油)
  • 25 grams of plain water (白水)
  • 3 grams of salt (盐巴)

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)


STEPS OF PREPARATION

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

  • Soak the mei cai for at least half an hour, drained and cut into small pieces. Dry fry in a non stick pan under medium heat until aromatic. Set aside for cooling.

  • Put all the filling ingredients together. Stir until well mixed. Divide equally into 4 portions and shape it round. Set aside.

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

  • Put the plain flour, lard or other oils  and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the cold water and use a pair of chopsticks to stir until it forms a sticky dough. Lightly transfer to a floured surface and knead until it forms a smooth dough. Put it back to the mixing bowl, cover with a clingy wrap and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before dividing into 4 portions.
  • For the oil dough, add the oil to the flour and lightly knead until it forms a dough. The dough can be slightly sticky but do not worry. Divide into 4 portions.

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

  • Pre-heat the oven to 190 degree Celsius.
  • Lightly pressed down the water dough, put a ball of oil dough at the centre. Seal the oil dough with the water dough, shape round again, set aside and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

  • Take a ball, use a rolling pin to roll the ball into a rectangular shape as evenly and as thin as possible. Roll it up like you are preparing Swiss roll. Turn the “Swiss roll” direction with the shorter side pointing at you. Use a rolling pin to roll it again in a rectangular shape as evenly and as thin as possible. Roll it up again like you are preparing Swiss roll.

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

  • Take a rolled dough, use the rolling pin to flatten it into a circle shape. Put a filling ball on top of the rolled dough, seal the edges, shape it round and use the rolling pin to lightly flatten it so that it looks like a disc shape. Use some thing to chop a red mark at the centre of the cake. Bake in the pre-heated oven of 190 degree Celsius for 25-30 minutes or until the desired colour tone.

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)


CONCLUSION

The origin of this mooncake is unclear but personally I think that people who named it as Teochew mooncake need to be responsible so as not to mislead consumers diners and readers. Teochew Meicai Mooncake will not be the same as Meicai mooncake…Though flaky crust is commonly thought as Teochew but it is also be a traditional Suzhou cuisine.   Personally, I liked the mooncake and have gave two to my neighbours. If you want a change, you can give it a try.

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

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Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)


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Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

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Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

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Mei Cai Mooncake (梅菜酥皮月饼)

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