Mascot Moon Cakes 公仔饼

Mascot Moon Cakes appear alongside moon cakes during the Mid Autumn Festival.

Ingredients of mascot moon cakes

Mascot moon cakes are a type of Chinese pastry and are made from flour and are baked in moulds. They are golden brown in appearance and generally not colored. Unlike the typical moon cakes, which are usually round, square, or oval, mascot moon cakes come in all shapes and sizes and usually have no fillings. However, the larger mascot moon cakes do come with bean paste fillings.

Forms and shapes of mascot moon cakes

Mascot moon cakes are highly creative products that reflect both traditional and modern influences. The most common and well-known mascot moon cake is the piglet moon cake, 猪仔饼. This moon cake has an outline of a roast pig and is put into a plastic cage reminiscent of traditional bamboo cages. The plastic cages come in many different colors and are hung at shop counters.  This is the only type of moon biscuit that comes with its very own packaging.

Other mascot moon cake are wrapped in plastic for hygiene reasons. Traditional mascots include the rabbit, fishes, animals, mythical beings inspired by Chinese legends. Innovative ones include a set of moon biscuits in the shape of a Chinese chess set, contemporary cartoon characters, and even a piston! In Singapore, there is also a Merlion, emblem of Singapore, moon biscuit.

Fans of mascot moon cakes

Mascot moon cakes are popular with children and adults. In fact, mascot moon cakes are sometimes more consumer friendly as they are individually packed and of the right size for single consumption. They are interesting choices as a morning or afternoon tea or a quick snack.

As seasonal products mascots moon cake only appear during the Mid Autumn Festival, it is therefore reasonable to assume that a pastry company will only invest in a mould whose icon will continue to be popular for the next few years or during the productive life of the mould.

Hence, the range of mascot moon cake in a particular overseas Chinese community reflects the interplay between traditional and modern icons and also between traditional Chinese and local cultural interactions.

See our mascot moon cake gallery and let us know which is your favourite!

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