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Post by Shan on Nov 6, 2006 2:27:42 GMT
Oh, and Canada came up with a different design for their mooncake.
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Post by Shan on Nov 6, 2006 2:29:35 GMT
Molds, I bet the people who makes all these mooncakes love the molds that are now available for them. ;D Can you imagine how long it would take if you had to do the designs by hand.
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Post by Shan on Nov 6, 2006 2:44:40 GMT
There seem to be a lot of experimentation with mooncakes with each passing year, yielding interesting and unusual mooncakes which departs from the austure (blase?) lotus and yolk staple. Some strange and unusal mooncakes.. But notice they do keep the detailed designs to them. This is a cheese mooncake with a jelly coating. The cheese is made from Philadelphia cheese. The taster was pleasantly surprised by the cheese mooncake - it tasted amazing!
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Post by Shan on Nov 6, 2006 2:48:46 GMT
The cheese mooncake comes in a twin pack with a chocolate mooncake as its mate. The chocolate mooncake is also jelly coated and contains a chocolate base. The taster thinks this one is delicious as well, but he would choose the cheese mooncake for its unusual implementation. He says it is a good combination pack though - cheese and chocolate.
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Post by Shan on Nov 6, 2006 2:51:13 GMT
This mooncake is the chilled "snow skin" mooncake with dragon fruit filling. The snow skin has hints of dragon fruit and the base is made with dragon fruit paste. There are visible manifestations of dragon fruit in this mooncake - the unique seeds can be seen in the paste. The snow skin dragonfruit mooncake tastes explosive, leaving a unique and pleasant tingly aftertaste akin to mint.
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Post by Shan on Nov 6, 2006 2:53:28 GMT
There is also a jelly variant of the dragon fruit mooncake...the striking red color dissuades the palate at first... ...but the taste is something else altogether. It's very nicely done. Dragon fruit mooncakes tastes good; it's hard to go wrong with this marvelous fruit.
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Post by Shan on Nov 6, 2006 2:57:40 GMT
The next mooncake that was recommended to the taster was the green bean paste mooncake with jelly. He didn't expect much from it but the proprietor swore on his mother's grave (well, he didn't exactly use those words, but he was definitely raving about it) that it's something seriously good. He wasn't kidding...the green bean paste tastes like custard! It also leaves a tantalizing aftertaste. It didn't taste like what h expected it too - the tangible custard features makes this mooncake a winner.
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Post by Shan on Nov 6, 2006 2:59:35 GMT
There you go Jags some of the art of the mooncakes and their packaging. I still love the way some of them are packages. The colors and designs are awesome.
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Post by janggut on Nov 6, 2006 4:56:51 GMT
WOOWWWW!!!!!!!! Shan, u must be so powered up after that project 'cos u got way more pix of mooncakes than i do! mooncakes are taking over the world!! let's see .......... according to XE.com USD1 is about 7.8765 Chinese Yuan (or Renminbi, which is the currency's official name). so 100 Yuan is about USD12.6937, so that means cheap for u! Shan, now u know mooncake packages are collectors items. i have some of my friends who are more into the packaging than the mooncakes themselves. too bad they don't give me the mooncakes. ;D i love the octagonal spiralling one. very very creative. & it looks like u can duplicate the design, if u have hard cardboard paper. might be a great project to do with the girls. i love the rabbit & piggie mooncakes. those i think are biscuits or some confection with filling rather than mooncake. but they're so cute, aren't they? love the ones in the rattan baskets, it's really like how they keep stuff back in the old days. i noticed that a lot of the labels on the mooncakes in the majority of pix tell me that they're from Malaysia. the words & phrases in Malay language, the price tags, the 'Made In Sarawak, Malaysia', yeah it's never enough to emphasise that malaysians are pure gluttons on perpetual holidays. Shan, i saw the twin pack for cheese & choc mooncakes. however they looked too rich for me so i didn't pick them up. now i wish that i did as i never tried them before. have u ever seen dragon fruit? it's gorgeous looking, both inside & out. there are two (as far as i know) kinds of dragon fruits - one with white (dotted with red & black) flesh & another with red flesh. my state (Sarawak) is exporting that fruit to other countries. i don't know if it's exported to the US or not. love all the pix & info, Shan. thanks for making this thread even more interesting & love ya!
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 16:47:18 GMT
Thanks Jags. Glad I could help. I had never heard of Dragon Fruit until I started looking for mooncake pictures. Soooooooooooooo, I thought I would see what I could find on it. Turns out to be very interesting and a very pretty fruit with lots of different varieties.
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 16:58:34 GMT
Jags, if you have any other info about anything I post here, please add it. If I mess something up let me know and I will change it. Dragon Fruit LegendDragon Fruit are native to Central and South America where they are known as pitaya or pitahaya. They are one of the most widely distributed members of the cactaceae family, and are now found on six continents. There are three species of dragon fruit in the genus Hylocereus and one species in the genus Selenicereus. Varieties of Hylocereus guatemalensis, Hylocereus polyrhizus, and Hylocereus undatus as well as hybrids of these three species are grown commercially worldwide. Selenicereus megalanthus is grown commercially on smaller scales in South America and is especially popular in Columbia. The dragon fruit flesh can be white, red, or magenta all to varying degrees dependant upon variety. The red fleshed varieties contain lycopene which is a natural antioxidant known to fight cancer, heart disease, and lower blood pressure. Despite the health benefits and its spectacular appearance, the fruit has gone virtually unnoticed for centuries. Today it is the leading fruit export of Vietnam. It has even caught the attention of Snapple, Tropicana, and Sobe which are just a few of the major labels that have incorporated dragon fruit into their bottled fruit drinks. The sensation surrounding this fabulous fruit can be attributed to a legend created by ingenious Asian marketers.According to the legend the fruit was created thousands of years ago by fire breathing dragons. During a battle when the dragon would breathe fire the last thing to come out would be the fruit. After the dragon is slain the fruit is collected and presented to the Emperor as a coveted treasure and indication of victory. The soldiers would then butcher the dragon and eat the flesh. It was believed that those who feasted on the flesh would be endowed with the strength and ferocity of the dragon and that they too would be coveted by the Emperor. It is written that the dragon’s flame originates deep within its body near the base of its tail. The meat from this part of the dragon was the most desirable and most sought after portion. Only the officers of each division would be privy to this cut of meat. The ancient Chinese called this cut the “jaina,” which translates literally to “the sweetest and best tasting.” The jaina was treasured by all who were privileged enough to taste it, and it is believed that man’s thirst for the jaina is what led to the destruction and eventual extinction of all of the dragons.
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 17:01:47 GMT
The following are some pictures of the different varieties and a little about them. Hope you enjoy the pics and the info as much as I did. Jags, do you know which variety is used most in mooncakes? Vietnamese JainaVietnam exports more fruit of this variety than any other. The fruit is large typically weighing 0.5-1.5 lbs., and has a semisweet snowy white pulp. In fact, the dramatic color contrast between the inside and outside of the fruit as well as its impressive size are what make this variety so popular among growers and consumers worldwide. This variety is self pollinating, and it will set fruit without being hand pollinated.
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 17:05:55 GMT
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 17:12:48 GMT
I love the outside of the dragon fruit. The inside is interesting, but the outside is awesome. Red JainaOf the varieties we have at P.I.N., this one is the heaviest producer thus far. The fruit are typically 0.5-0.75 lbs. with an especially dark red flesh. It is semisweet and good to eat, but its greatest potential is as a juicing variety. The crimson red lycopene enriched juice could compliment a multitude of tropical drinks, smoothies, or culinary creations. This variety is not self pollinating and needs to be crossed with another to set fruit.
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 17:15:09 GMT
Bloody MaryThis variety is very similar in size, color, and taste to Red Jaina. It is not quite as prolific of a producer, but it is nearly indistinguishable beyond that fact. It also needs to be cross pollinated to set fruit.
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 17:17:24 GMT
American BeautyThis variety was collected and introduced to Florida by Chris Rollins, Director of the Redland Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead, Florida. The fruit has an impressive appearance both inside and out, and it has the flavor to back up its good looks. The fruit size ranges from 0.5-1.0 lbs. and occur without cross or hand pollination. This variety would best be used as a fresh fruit dish or as a garnish.
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 17:18:48 GMT
AliceThis variety was named for California Rare Fruit Grower member Alice Snow. It is a semisweet medium sized fruit that is typically 0.5-1.0 lbs. The outer skin is a brilliant hot pink when the fruit is fully ripe making it one of the most eye catching of all the different varieties. This variety does however need to be cross pollinated to set fruit.
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 17:24:03 GMT
ZamoranoThis variety was collected from the agriculture university in Honduras for which it is named. It is a medium to large sized fruit typically weighing 0.5-1.0 lbs. The flesh is incredibly dark red and has a sweet mild flavor. Larger fruit size is achieved with hand pollination, but this variety will set fruit on its own. This variety is versatile and can be eaten as fresh fruit, juiced for a drink, or used as a garnish.
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 17:25:19 GMT
Yellow Dragon FruitThis variety is the only one known from the genus Selenicereus. It differs from the Hylocereus in color, harvesting time, and this fruit has thorns that occur on the fruit itself. The fruit are small to medium usually weighing 0.5-0.75 lbs. The fruit ripen from late November to February, and it is certainly among the sweetest and tastiest of all the dragon fruit. This variety is self pollinating, and it will set fruit on its own.
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Post by Shan on Nov 22, 2006 17:26:28 GMT
Voodoo ChildVoodoo Child is a small, sangria colored fruit that is exceptionally flavorful. The fruit are slightly larger than an egg, and they have a sweet grape-like taste. They are best chilled and eaten out of hand, or used in combination with other juices. This variety is self pollinating, and it will set fruit on its own.
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