A traditional mooncake oven has been burning brightly for nearly a century.

Pia cakes are a traditional treat of the Teochew Chinese, often used to announce joyous occasions or as gifts during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Over time, this cake has become not only closely associated with the Chinese community in Vietnam, but every Mid-Autumn Festival, people in Ho Chi Minh City and tourists alike flock to buy them.

In the bustling Chinatown of Binh Tien ward (Ho Chi Minh City), Trieu Minh Hiep bakery is always crowded with people buying mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Established in 1948, the shop has been run by three generations. Amidst the age of industrial production, this small bakery has continued to operate steadily for over 75 years, maintaining its traditional handcrafted methods.

The dough is kneaded by hand, the crust is rolled into thin layers, the filling is wrapped in a round shape, and then baked. The traditional brick oven consistently emits a fragrant aroma of mung beans, taro, and salted egg yolk. When taken out of the oven, the cakes are still hot, the crust bursting into soft layers, and when bitten into, they have a light, airy texture. The mung bean filling is rich and creamy with a hint of sweetness, blended with the salty taste of salted egg yolk. This flavor has been preserved by the family for nearly a century.

Mooncakes from Trieu Minh Hiep shop are sought after by many customers every Mid-Autumn Festival.

During each Mid-Autumn Festival season, the shop sells over 100 boxes of mooncakes per day, 3-4 times more than usual. However, the shop resolutely refuses to mass-produce. Mr. Trieu An, the third-generation owner of Trieu Minh Hiep bakery, shared: “The shop only sells fresh, hot mooncakes. Once a batch is sold out, we stop making more, and we don't chase after quantity. At the same time, consumers are not only concerned about taste but also prioritize health. Therefore, we always focus on the ‘quality’ aspect of each product: saying no to preservatives, additives, artificial colors, and flavorings.”

In the heart of Cholon, Trieu Minh Hiep mooncakes have become a part of collective memory, a place where people seek out the flavors of Mid-Autumn Festival from a bygone era. In the small bakery, customers stand in long lines, even considering queuing for mooncakes as a ritual of the moon festival. Ms. Le Hoa (born in 1980, residing in Binh Tien ward) shared: “Every year, my family buys mooncakes, and we all sit together by a teapot, eating and chatting. This flavor is linked to the memories of three generations in my family.”

Wrapping childhood memories in mooncakes.

A mooncake shaped like a childhood convenience store has gone viral on social media in recent days, leaving many people astonished. No longer the familiar round or square shape, the mooncake created by Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong (born in 1996, residing in Thanh Xuan Ward, Hanoi ) has transformed the traditional mooncake into a vibrant work of art, evoking memories of the small convenience store at the corner of the street, a place that held simple joys for generations.

Ms. Duong shared: "My childhood was filled with running to the convenience store at the end of the street to buy a packet of candy, a can of soda, or a few colorful balloons. Those memories have stayed with me until now, and I wanted to encapsulate them all in a cake, so that anyone who sees it can smile and remember their own childhood."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong with her mooncake "Story of 2000".

From idea to reality, the baking process took a week, filled with countless challenges. The mung bean paste pastry shells were used to create the base and frame, sturdy enough to support the entire model. Small details like soda cans, snack packets, gourd vines, and shop windows were all sculpted entirely by hand. Ms. Duong skillfully manipulated the transparent gelatin to recreate the image of plastic bags and sparkling shop windows.

"There are details as small as a fingertip, and I have to redo them dozens of times. Just one color or one line difference, and the grocery store will lose the authenticity I want," Ms. Duong shared.

Every detail, however small, is handcrafted.

While traditional mooncakes symbolize reunion, Thuy Duong's artwork opens up a different perspective, suggesting that mooncakes can also become "storytellers."

"For me, the Mid-Autumn Festival isn't just about the feast or the full moon. It's also about a can of soda, a hastily bought packet of gummy candies, or the tinkling sound of the bell at the convenience store. I hope that when people see this cake, they will smile and feel their childhood memories return," Ms. Duong expressed.

This mooncake has completely broken free from traditional boundaries to integrate into contemporary creative trends, where art and cuisine meet. The mooncake from her grocery store is not simply a festive treat, but rather a bridge between the past and the present, between traditional culture and modern creativity, making today's Mid-Autumn Festival richer and more surprising than ever before.

Text and photos: PHUONG NGAN

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    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/muon-huong-vi-muon-sac-thai-mua-trung-thu-847854