The method of making Su style mooncakes
Release time : 06/12/2025 09:30:03
Every festive occasion brings its corresponding traditional gifts. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, a plethora of "mooncakes" have already been eagerly competing to be launched and are depicting the richness of Mid-Autumn flavor.
The variety of mooncakes varies by region and culture, such as Suzhou-style, Guangdong-style, Beijing-style, and Cantonese-style. But how are these exquisite and delicious mooncakes made? Suzhou mooncakes are a traditional food in China, especially loved by the people of the Yangtze River Delta region. To make Suzhou mooncakes, first prepare the dough, which is the foundation of the mooncakes. Then, roll the dough into a circle and flatten it into a thin sheet. Next, carve patterns on the surface using a mold. After carving the patterns, wrap the dough around the mold to form small rolls, then cut them into pieces about 30 grams each. Finally, bake the cut pieces in an oven until they turn golden brown. Once the baked mooncakes are taken out, let them cool slightly before they can be eaten. Thus, a delicious Suzhou mooncake is ready to be enjoyed.
Suzhou-style mooncakes are made from wheat flour, maltose, edible vegetable oil or pork fat, water, etc. The dough is formed by wheat flour, edible vegetable oil or pork fat for the pastry and then baked.
The quality and the variety of the suzhou style mooncake are improving day by day. The color and varieties of the mooncake are also developing greatly. But in the preparation methods, the fillings and the making of the crust, they are still similar to those of the old ones.
Let's take a look at the process. First, precision is key when preparing the ingredients, as it can help create the ideal mooncake.
1. Raw materials: water and oil skins: 100g of flour, 30g of lard, 50g of warm water, 5g of powdered sugar, 5g of salt.
(If you want to make sweet fillings, use 20g of powdered sugar and no salt).
Crispy: 100g flour, 50 g lard.
Filling: 200g mashed pork (fat and lean 3:7), one piece of pickled mustard, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, a few chives, 1 teaspoon of pepper powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 egg white.
2. Practice: First, thoroughly knead all the materials in the water and oil skin until the transparent film can be pulled out, place them in a fresh-keeping bag and let stand for 30 minutes.
Secondly, knead the ingredients in the pastry evenly into a ball, place them in a fresh-keeping bag and let stand for 30 minutes.
Chop the pickled mustard, chop the chives, add all the seasonings to the meat paste, stir in one direction, and refrigerate in the refrigerator.
Then, cut the water and oil skins into about 24g per serving, and just squeeze the crispy directly, about 16g-18g per serving, divided into 8 portions each.
After dividing everything, round and cover with plastic wrap to avoid air drying.
Take one piece of dough and press it into a palm-sized flat, then place the oil filling on top.
Fourth, press the oil-filled paste with your left thumb and fold it inwards at the right side of your palm. Then rotate it, finally close the fold tightly, tucking it down and flattening it.
Fifth, roll out into a tongue shape and fold it over.
Make the same effort in the other 7 cases.
Place the plastic wrap on it and let it sit for 15 minutes to better facilitate your next steps.
Sixth, it's actually okay to not let the previous step settle at all.
After rolling out the dough, I pressed it slightly with my hands and continued to roll it out with a rolling pin, then rolled it up again.
Seventh, ensure you have prepared the same number of other 7 batches. Then, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15-20 minutes.
After settling properly, take one piece and press it down to make a slightly thicker middle and thinner edges.
Step 8: With the smooth side facing down, wrap the 30g of filling as if you were making a pocket pastry. The seam should be sealed tightly without any gaps like when making a bun.
Step 9: Finally, fold the dough in half and place it on a baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 180°C, bake on the middle rack for about 10 minutes until the bottom is set. Then turn over and continue baking on the other side for another 10 minutes. After that, turn over again and bake for another 5 minutes until both sides are golden brown with a slight crispiness and a light yellow color.
Suzhou-style mooncakes are a traditional Chinese food from Suzhou. They have been passed down from Suzhou and continue to maintain the traditional craftsmanship, now there are more than 30 varieties of them. They are crispy, fragrant, layered with layers of oiliness, rich in flavor yet not greasy, sweet or salty as one wishes.
From ancient times to the present, whether in the palace or among the people, Suzhou-style mooncakes are the most mainstream ones during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Nowadays, they are primarily popular in areas such as Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang in the south. Mooncakes from all over the country are available in major and medium-sized cities.
As the essence of pastries, Suzhou-style mooncakes are known for their crispy crusts, beautiful colors, rich, yet not greasy fillings, and flaky texture. They stand out from other varieties of mooncakes and have been loved by people around the world.
The making of Suzhou mooncakes is in fact the collective wisdom of ancient people. It originated from Tang Dynasty and flourished in Song Dynasty.
It was not until the 38th year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty that Daoxiang Village began to truly collect, organize, improve, innovate and spread this craft.
After more than two centuries, under the joint efforts of Daoxiang Village and other well-known brands, they have made comprehensive development.
To date, the exact lineage of practitioners with written records can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty, when Wu Jintang was a generation in question. Prior to this, precise historical records of practitioners have been lost. The craft has flourished in Suzhou, with five generations of Suzhou-style mooncakes' essence being passed down to this day. The art of making Suzhou-style mooncakes is included in the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List."
On the fifteenth day of August, the moon is perfectly round, and the Mid-Autumn Mooncakes are sweet.
During this crisp and clear autumn, it is the most anticipated moment to gather with family, enjoying the full moon and mooncakes together for a wonderful evening. However, among all the varieties of mooncakes, which one do you choose? Suzhou style? Guangzhou style? Beijing style? Tide style? Do you know their characteristics? Nowadays, the commercial acumen of businesses is becoming more and more developed, so are the variety of mooncakes.
The varieties of mooncakes in China are abundant, and according to their origins, they are divided into: Suzhou-style mooncakes, Beijing-style mooncakes, Guangdong-style mooncakes, Taiwan-style mooncakes, Yunnan-style mooncakes, Hong Kong-style mooncakes, Chaozhou-style mooncakes, Hui-style mooncakes, Qian-style mooncakes, Thai-style mooncakes, etc. So what are the characteristics of these mooncakes?
Suzhou-style mooncakes originated in Suzhou and have been passed down through generations in the city, maintaining traditional craftsmanship techniques. Nowadays, they boast more than 30 varieties. They are crisp, fragrant, layered with layers of richness and a hint of oiliness, yet not overly greasy or sweet.
Cantonese mooncakes: Originating in Guangdong and its surrounding areas, they have absorbed the techniques of Western pastries. Their defining feature is a thin crust with a large filling, typically having a ratio of 2:8 for crust to filling. The oil content in their crusts is higher than that in other varieties, resulting in a texture that is both light and smooth, with a prominent luster on the surface. Representatives include the white lotus seed paste mooncakes from Guangzhou's Lianxianglou and Guangzhou's Jiujiang Restaurant, as well as the Jiangmen-based Ligong Tangyuan Mooncakes.
Beijing Style Mooncakes
Beijing-style mooncakes originated in Beijing, Tianjin and surrounding areas and have a certain market in the north. Their main characteristics are moderate sweetness and ratio of skin to stuffing. Generally, the ratio of skin to stuffing is 4:6. They are mainly based on the special flavor of the stuffing and have a crisp and loose taste. The main products include red mooncakes from Daoxiang Village, Beijing, and Wuren mooncakes.
Dian-style mooncakes.
Dian-style mooncakes mainly originated and were popular in Yunnan, Guizhou and surrounding areas, and are now gradually becoming popular among consumers in other areas. Its main characteristics are that the filling is made of Dian-style ham, the crust is loose, the filling is salty and sweet, and has a unique Dian-style ham aroma. The main product is cloud-leg mooncakes produced by Kunming Jiqingxiang.
Ququ mooncakes can be said to be a unique feature of Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
It is characterized by using sesame as an important raw material, so it is also called "Quzhou sesame cake".
Its main representatives include "Duze Osmanthus Moon Cake" and "Shao Yongfeng Ma Cake", a century-old Chinese brand.
Hui-style mooncakes have oily meringue on their skin and are made by mixing high-quality flour and vegetable oil. The cake flame is made of wild vegetables (Kubancai), pickled and mixed with fresh pork plate oil and white sugar.
The main representative is "dried plum moon cakes".
The difference between Guangzhou-style mooncakes and Sugar-style mooncakes is that during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when talking about mooncakes, the two major varieties of mooncakes are the Guangzhou-style and Sugar-style mooncakes. Their audience is much higher than that of other varieties and they also occupy a large share in the market.
If I must choose between the two, which one would you choose? Perhaps after understanding the differences between the two, your answer will naturally come to you.
Suzhou-style mooncakes.
The skin is crisp and loose, the color is beautiful, the filling is fat but not greasy, and the taste is loose and crisp. It is the essence of Sugar-style cakes.
Su-style mooncakes are divided into two types: sweet, salty, roasted and baked.
The main production technology of sweet mooncakes is baking, including roses, fruits, salt and pepper, bean paste and other varieties. Salty mooncakes are mainly baked, including ham and lard, chive lard, fresh meat, shrimp, etc.
Among them, clear water roses, refined Baiguo, white hemp and pepper salt, and sand lard are the best among Su-style mooncakes.
Su-style mooncakes are very sensitive to the selection of raw and auxiliary materials and are full of local characteristics.
The sweet mooncake filling includes rose petals, osmanthus, walnut kernels, peanut kernels, cashew nuts, and sesame seeds. The savory mooncake filling is primarily made with ham, pork leg meat, shrimp, lard, green onion, etc.
It is made from wheat flour, white sugar, maltose and fat.
The Cantonese mooncake, originating from the south and renowned all over the world, is primarily because of its exquisite selection and crafting skills. It is characterized by its thin crust, soft texture, shiny oily surface, golden yellow color, beautiful shape, intricate patterns, clear lines, easy to break, elaborate packaging, and convenient carrying. It is an excellent gift for people during the Mid-Autumn Festival and a must-have for people enjoying the moon and eating mooncakes on that night.
Cantonese mooncakes are divided into two main categories: sweet and savory.
The selection of mooncake fillings is quite extensive, not only using apricots, lotus seeds, almonds, cashews, peach kernels, sesame, and other fruit materials, but also up to twenty or more ingredients such as salted eggs, barbecue pork, roast duck, shiitake mushrooms, iced meat, sugar cane, shrimp, pancakes, dried tangerine peel, lemon leaves, etc. In recent years, it has even expanded to include mangoes, durians, bananas, and even rarer ingredients like sea urchins, shark fin, crocodile meat, and scallops.
Dear friends, after reading the introduction by the editor, have you silently fallen in love with either the Suzhou or Guangdong mooncakes? Regardless of which one you choose, don't forget to take home the mooncakes for a joyous reunion and Mid-Autumn Festival celebration! Wishing you all happiness and unity during this festive season. *The medical information presented in this text is for reference only.
In case of discomfort, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on the professional assessment by a face-to-face clinician.