FEATURES

Sambal in your mooncake

Shallots, chilies and dried prawns are use in the sambal mooncake

IT was a matter of time, I guess. Ever since durian mooncakes appeared on the scene, I have been anticipating, not without trepidation, the day that mooncakes would be stuffed with sambal.

It has happened. The Tai Thong Group has unveiled its salted lotus with sambal mooncakes (RM11.75 each) together with four other new flavours.

According to Yiu Wing Keung, the group executive dim sum chef from Hong Kong, the sambal filling is inspired by local food culture. “To complement the spicy dried prawn sambal, we are using salted lotus paste,” he says.

As with most things new, a sambal mooncake definitely needs getting used to. I find the flavour of the dried prawn sambal a little overpowering, drowning the fragrance of the lotus seed paste which, by the way, is not completely un-sweet.

Of the five new flavours, my favourite has to be the snow skin nutty delights (RM11.50) which has a strong flavour of almonds combined with that of lotus and walnuts. Even the snow skin has peanut paste worked into it for a nutty taste.

Next on my list is the green tea and pu er lotus paste (RM11.25). Unexpectedly, the fresh quality of green tea and the mellow, ripeness of fermented pu er tea come together in a balanced harmony of flavours.

There are two new fruity flavours priced at RM11.50 each. Snow skin tropical paradise has a layer of mango paste topped with that of aloe vera. Lovely aroma and texture here.

However, I find the snow skin fruit delights far too sweet for my tastebuds. The skin is coloured and flavoured with kiwi fruit while the filling is a layer of pale yellow lychee paste and another layer of blueberry paste.

Tai Thong also offers mooncakes with traditional fillings of lotus paste and red bean paste as well as its popular range of snow skin mooncakes with fillings of coffee and chocolate bits, mashed yolk, durian coulis, mixed grains, vanilla tiramisu and yam paste.

The halal mooncakes are available at all Tai Thong restaurants as well as supermarkets and hypermarkets.

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