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10 centimetres is the diameter of a perfect Mooncake. In fact, it is actually quite a small cake even though larger versions do exist. However, there is no question about its mandatory height of 4 centimetres, which is even complied within the case of record-making mooncakes.
4 types of mooncakes represent the most widely known versions. The difference mainly lies in their fillings which may be made from red beans (the most famous and popular), lotus seed paste, jujube paste (a fruit) and five nuts and seeds.
7 countries, as well as China, feast on various versions of this delicious cake. Japanese Geppei is very similar to the Chinese cake. The mooncake known to Malaysians is also similar, in its variant with lotus seeds. Instead, various types are to be found in Indonesia, where there is a particular penchant for savoury versions filled with pork and cheese. In Vietnam, it goes under the name of Bánh Trung Thu, while the mooncake of Taiwan is usually filled with mung bean paste. In Singapore, there is no end to the different types of fillings, while Thailand follows the tradition.
2 double cheese burgers are equivalent to the calorie intake of a traditional mooncake which, with its average of 750 Kcal is one of the most nutritious sweets in the world.
187.5 grams is the average weight of the perfect mooncake, which should have a crust of 25 grams. When production is at a peak, specialist pastry makers can turn out up to 20,000 of these little cakes every day.
15th day of the eighth month of the Lunar Calendar marks the date of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is extremely popular in China and Vietnam. In 2019 it's on 13th September. On that night, when the sky is illuminated by a full clear moon, it is customary to enjoy mooncake and offer it to others. There are three reasons for celebrating this day: to reunite the family, to offer thanks for the harvest and to pray for good luck, in the form of marriages, children, beauty, a long life and wealth.
2 phases are involved in baking a mooncake, and it is on these that its perfection depends. The first phase, lasting from 8 to 10 minutes at 180 °C, makes the pastry firm. At this point the mooncake is removed from the oven and brushed with egg yolk beaten with a pinch of salt, before being returned to the oven to bake for a further 8-11 minutes.
2.57 metres is the diameter of the largest mooncake ever baked. It was made for the Mid-Autumn Festival of 2013 by as many as 15 chefs who worked on it uninterruptedly for 3 days. Its final weight was 2496.4 Kg and it required 100 litres of oil, 300 Kg of sugar, 500 Kg of flour, 4000 egg yolks, 2300 Kg of lotus seed paste. In 2016, an attempt was made to beat this record but it came short, only reaching a diameter of 2.4 metres. This also took place in China, at Kunming to be precise, in Yunnan province. What about the filling? It was a rather special one consisting of ham and flower petals. The wording in sesame seeds on top of the cake read “zhongqiukuai le” (“Happy Mid-Autumn Day”).
11 million is the record number of mooncakes sold online by one single specialized website. The exact number is 11,075,071, and it was reached on 13 September 2018. A ranking of the cities that consume the most mooncakes sees Shanghai in the lead, followed by Beijing, Shenzen, Guangzhou and Chongqing.
202 the number of mooncakes prepared "in suspension". A very strange and ambitious record, which was achieved in 2014 by a group of 200 people located in a series of chairlifts connecting the Faber Peak Station to the Sentosa station.
Are you ready to take the challenge? Try the perfect traditional Chinese Mooncake recipe!
