It is only the month of June and Mid Autumn or Mooncake festival this year falls in the month of September. But some of the 7 Eleven stores have gradually started to sell mooncakes:
Mooncake festival is celebrated mainly by the Chinese community. It falls on the 15th day (full moon day) of the 8th Chinese lunar calendar (click here if you wish to check the dates of the Chinese lunar calendar).
Mooncakes, because they are only available once a year, it is really overpriced. But those who do not know how to make it themselves would buy the mooncakes because traditional Chinese communities would need to distribute to their elders and in-laws as well as to friends and relatives.
It is a little amazing to see the mooncakes have started to go on sale so early (long before the Hungry Ghost festival have started). The mooncakes at 7 Eleven are sold for above 100 baht each. Pricing differs according to the filling used.
Over the years, various variants of mooncakes have started to come up. Usually those who are health conscious are not able to consume too much of mooncakes. But the jelly variants are quite popular in Malaysia and is very easy to make. A friend of mine makes jelly mooncakes to distribute to relatives and it is very much a favourite. For example, below jelly mooncakes sold at a night market in Malaysia:
Basically using a plastic mould that resembles a mooncake shape, one can make all sorts of flavour of jellies – usually there is an outer layer and then an inner yolk like (it is not real salted egg yolk but is actually an orange colour jelly). You can literally make any jelly flavours like pandan, chocolate, dragon fruit, yam, mango, coconut, kiwi, etc.
I wonder if the jelly variants is popular in Thailand since I have also tasted the most delicious jellies here in Thailand. If I come across any along the way I would definitely write about them.
Soon, we would be able to see stores like BigC and Central starting to sell mooncakes.
