If not for those of you who sent me some last year here and here, I would not have had any…for the simple reason that they were way too expensive and I would not want to spend my money buying those extravagantly-expensive mooncakes to eat. After all, I am not really crazy about those and I really do not think it would be worth it at all.
Well, we are into the 2nd half of the 7th month and the Mooncake or Lantern or Mid-Autumn Festival will be here soon – on the 12th of September, to be exact. I have seen some blog posts such as this one on those available this year and horror of horrors! The prices range from around RM70 to RM100 or more per box of 4. Good grief! With that kind of money, I can go out with my missus and even bring a couple of friends along for a sumptuous dinner at a restaurant in town and that would definitely be a whole lot more to everyone’s satisfaction. Even this American branded-coffee franchise is jumping on the bandwagon.
Well, I don’t know if any of you are going out to buy any of those or not but I, for one, will definitely not be doing any such thing. Incidentally, whoever may be thinking of giving me any this year, for heaven’s sake, please don’t. Better save the money to buy me dinner when we get to meet one another.
Actually, we have some pretty nice local-made ones at some of the bakeries here like these, for instance…
The guy used to work at a hotel here before he ventured out to open his own bakery and for RM8.50, I can get 6 of these…
…with some very nice pandan paste and salted egg inside…
The skin is also pretty well-done and one thing’s for sure, these are a whole lot more affordable.
These are cheaper…
…at only RM5.00 for 6 with white bean-paste filling…
…but personally, I feel the skin is a bit too thick and not as great and the bean paste (which looks a lot darker than usual) is too sweet and not to my liking. I think I would just stick to the former…mainly with the sole objective of keeping our culture and tradition alive, more than anything else.
If I remember correctly, I’ve seen those “imported” from the peninsula in the shops and supermarkets as early as the beginning of this month, if not sometime last month. By the time, the festival comes around, they would be some two to three months old already…and I really wonder how much preservative would be needed to keep them from going bad in the meantime. It certainly makes more sense to buy our local-made ones even though they may not be so exquisite, so exceptionally nice…but at least, they’ve just come out fresh from the oven…and they’re cheap. What do you all think?
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
It’s true, prices are exorbitant, except in Sibu, of course, where you can get four red bean mooncakes for RM9.50 (Seng Kee) and they are actually very good! Was able to get some before I left. I never got to try Chung’s. Will have to try them next year. BTW, moved my new blog to wordpress (prefer it to blogger) could you update the link? Many thanks!
Ok, will do that. You love red bean paste, don’t you? Like those buns from the bakery at Sg Merah. I don’t mind red bean but I prefer white and my missus can’t eat red bean paste, she’ll throw up… Dunno why. Probably psychological. Hmmm…never tried Seng Kee. Perhaps I should drop by one of these days…
If you do go to Seng Kee, go to the back of the shop, next to the butcher shop. That’s where they still make their kompia the old fashioned way, over charcoal fire, still the best in Sibu, IMO. Yes, love my tau sah paus, especially the ones from coco siang.
I’ve seen photos in many blogs…and I saw it on a documentary on Sibu on Astro the other day. May drop by but would not go out of my way just to go there and buy. I don’t eat much of these things – a bit too sweet for my liking. I think I prefer savoury stuff…like tee piang, panggang…
Buy from your local outlets.. at least you know they bake them every now and then… those selling in the mega malls.. i also wonder how long they have been displayed already.. they cannot be selling like hot cakes each day, right? Anyway, I don’t buy them anymore… my girl asked me to buy from the market one.. nicer, she said.. hahaha…
Good! Boycott those daylight robbers! Pirates! These that I bought, the expiry date was on the 9th, I think…and yesterday, I bought – probably a new batch and the expiry date was 12th or was it 20th? Obviously, there is no preservative or less…and they cannot keep for THREE months. Gee!!! Imagine if we keep eating a lot of those expensive ones and we’ll end up becoming non-biodegradable…. LOL!
d first one is called the “ham tan soh” is it? Over here in normal bakery, it’s already Rm3.50 per piece, not to mention those brands in shopping malls 😦
Gosh!! These that I got can be considered really cheap then. We may have better ones at the other bakeries here…but I can’t jolly well go around and try it all – too sweet and it would be good for me not to take too much of such things.
The funny thing, I have not even bought a moon cake in my entire life, don’t know why, i guess personally, I feel it is way too expensive, secondly, there is no significance in giving it as a gift, because in a way or two, you are subtly compelling the receipient to return with the same token and lastly I don’t take moon cake hahhahahaha, suffice to say
I will just buy and eat once…and these days, I will only buy the cheap local ones – just to preserve the tradition, not that I really like them so much. I would very much prefer chang anytime…
What to do, they are cashing in on the festival! I still bought but not much la. Can send some to me since you got so many boxes?
Haiya!!! At one glance, I thought you said you were going to send me some. What a disappointment! 😦
(Eyes pop out, rubbing eyes in disbelief) That’s super duper darn cheap, she must be a very kind and generous baker!!!! You are so lucky!
Yes, I thought they were really cheap too – especially the RM5 for 6 ones…even cheaper than the Perak heong peah, I think
yeah, really expensive at around RM15 and price keeps increasing every year.. if not just for the festive, i won’t buy them also.. haha, but come to think of it, it’s only there for the festive right?? 😀
RM15? I’ve seen posts on those over RM20…and I don’t think I saw any that “cheap”. Once a year also, I wouldn’t want to waste my money like that…just to preserve the culture and tradition – not that they’re really nice and I would be dying to eat them, come this time of year.
Mooncakes are getting really really expensive these days. It is time to learn making mooncakes ourselves. STP, you wanna try making your very own mooncakes? I can be your guinea pig 😀
P/S: Thanx for the link ^_^
Dunno how to make…and I don’t think you can either so I would not ask you to send some over. LOL!!
morning!! Mooncakes are getting expensive by day, but they’re still oh so delicious to have!
Delicious? Hmmmm….not on my must-eat list of things, not at all.
it’s nice to indulge in mooncakes as it’s only once in a year.
Hah!! You’re selling them in your shop? Hahahahaha!!!! 😉
you’re right. the mooncakes are extravagantly priced nowadays. it’s all about advertising and packaging and not quality anymore
Yup! Becoming like branded stuff now. Buying for the prestige tag… Only for the rich and famous, not me. 😦
ya expensive.. i still prefer the traditional ones, to be honest 🙂
Definitely not durian, green tea and all that crap… I guess you did not like the Starbucks ones that you blogged about? 😉
Arthur,
In NZ, shops have been selling mooncakes since May!Makes one wonder how on earth they managed to keep the mooncakes fresh for many months.
A friend brought 2 boxes of mooncakes from Bee Cheng Hiang for us recently, a box of 4 pcs of Red Bean and kuaci cost RM74 ( Rm 18.50 each ) and another box of lotus paste, RM 72 ( Rm 18 each). Crazy or not? Like you, I would rather have a nice dinner than eating mooncakes as I am not a fan and won’t merajuk if nobody give me makan…waste of calories!!I wonder how do these ppl justify the ridiculous price?
They’re just cashing in on the occasion and there are always people gullible enough to go and buy. My sentiments exactly – with that kind of money, one whole family here can go out for a decent meal and enjoy it a whole lot more…without having to worry about diabetes and all that. Tsk! Tsk!
See the price of the mooncake, you will have a 2nd thought whether to buy or not. Not really fancy mooncakes….most of them are too sweet, but may buy 1 or 2 as it is celebrated once a year. I like Green Tea from Cosway. Not too sweet, just nice
Me neither. Green Tea? Eyewwww….that green smell/taste. I love lotus paste with salted egg yolks…but cannot afford, so no need lah. Not that crazy over them, anyway.
been eating lots mooncakes till tday! luckily no need buy. :p
Lucky you…go food tasting all the time, would have eaten more than enough already.
One man’s meat is another man’s poison so no right or wrong. Got a friend who can eat moon cake for B,L,D. Can understand prices keep going up and your link to that American franchise selling at RM148.80 which is eye popping but they have their market. Agree with eiling its the packaging, branding and advertisement that ‘inflate’ the cost. Remember Pete can get RM10 for 3 which are just as good as the rest as the extras are not costed into the moon cakes.
Pete can? Ooooo…I wonder if he has my mailing address. LOL!!! 😀 Come to think of it, why is it that only the female bloggers will give one another things, send here, send there, send everywhere…but not the men? I pause for an answer….. Hehehehehe!!! 😀
You said it right bro, to preserve tradition in celebrating Mid-Autumn buying a box a year is not that bad after all. It is just like the importance of roasted turkey during Thanksgiving dinner.
I don’t have a turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas either. Over RM100 – pre-roasted. I’d much sooner spend that money on other things a lot nicer…
That’s called a Mooncake? oh … a lot i know. sigh.
if that what it is, then i prefer the ones by the corner behind Wisma Sanyan, what’s the name of that bakery? Forgot. Very prominent corner too.
Now they’ve all kinds of variations and this is one of them. You also have the snowskin type…and they even have agar-agar mooncakes. In my younger days, only two types – theFoochow square biscuits and the flat round mooncakes with brown skin and black bean paste inside. That bakery? Breadsense…and that branch has closed down already, I heard. But there are three others, I think, elsewhere in the town. Haven’t tried theirs…
I always prefer the traditional one….i ll just ignore all the creative choices they came out with..No matter how fancy the names can be, i just prefer lotus paste with single yolk…LOL!! Well, nearby my working place is where one of the famous restaurant factory located. They are having promo on mooncake this weekend, I might wana hop over to see if i can get some good deal….ehehehhehe
Good luck. Hope you get good deals. Here, I used to buy the day after the festival – very cheap (and those days, not really expensive either) but these days, even a day or two before the festival, all sold out…despite their being so very expensive. 😦
Ling, tak payah buy the mooncakes la… snowskin wan, big kakak kaotim. Den jelly ones, i will sumbat u. Jelly moonckes oso mooncakes ma….enuff la… boycott those mahal mahal ones. U belanja us makan at YH is better with that money. Wakakakaka!
Jelly? Eyewwwww……agar-agar! I would draw the line at snow skin. I wonder what History would turned out to be if the ancient Chinese had agar-agar mooncakes in their bid to overthrow the mongols…. LOL!!! Absurd, simply ridiculous!
Heard that the annual ritual of yee sang is when the restaurants get to make a killing as the profits make up a quarter or even more of the yearly sales. Bakers also make this killing for their mooncakes.
RM70-100? gosh that’s expensive! Personally I’d get a few of the original dark-skin with lotus paste filling (yolk or no yolk) just to satisfy my craving. 🙂 They only cost btw Rm8 – Rm10 each
+Ant+
Where? Those were the prices I paid for them some 10 years or so ago – those imported from the peninsula, that is. Even the unknown names would burn huge holes in my pocket! The local made ones would be a whole lot cheaper, of course…and who cares if they’re not as fine, the skin is not as thin, the egg is not as red and whole and glowing – I’m not going to be dragged into such folly and pay those astronomical prices. Tsk! Tsk!.
*evil grin* Kat just drop by and sumbat-ed me with her snowskin mooncakes… wakakaka…so happy. LOL!
These biscuits ah? I’m not a fan… cuz usually very mahal la… some is not nice too. 😦 But every now and den, buy to gv friends as buah tangan is ok la… but wanna sendiri makan, dun tink will buy lo.
At the current prices, I wouldn’t even think of buying to give to people. Might as well invite them all out to dinner.
Expensive mooncakes. We have the same sentiments regarding mooncakes. I visited one shop that sells mooncakes and look at their mooncakes. I instantly returned the mooncake to the stall when I saw the price. It is too expensive and I can buy three packs of hopia for one piece of mooncake.
Smart move – putting it back. Sheer waste of our hard earned money…and they’re not that nice, something we would not be able to resist. 😦
Yeah. I am such a cheapskate. 🙂
Don’t worry, you are not alone… 😉
I love moon cakes especially the nutty ones. Every year I receive too many boxes until I have to give to my neighbours. They love me!
Rub! Go ahead and rub it in… Tsk! Tsk! You need my mailing address? 😉 LOL!!!
I got fed up. Sendiri make LOL. quite easy to make the snow skin type. Too bad no oven else can bake the bake type too.
I don’t like snow skin – my ex-colleague used to make for sale. Only bought long ago when it first came into the scene, a novelty – something different for a change.
Thank you so much for the moon cake!! I have yet to try, i am also not a moon cake person. 😛
I was thinking to get you some moon cake when i am back, but lack of time to go shopping. 😦
I did get to try “mouse tail” this year, my mum bought a packet from Delta Mall? Very nice, and not sweet at all. Thinking to buy some back for my parent in law, end up didn’t get, lack of time and also my bags was full! Don’t ask me what i bring back. LOL Total weight for the bag – 50kg+, lucky firefly allow 20kg per person.
Hah! Thank goodness you did not buy – they’re simply too expensive. Not worth it at all. Thanks for the lap chiang and all the treats when you were here – so paiseh… Oh? You like the mouse tail? I don’t – and that’s why I never buy that. Looks like I’m not Foochow enough, not 100%. Sikit fail punya Foochow. LOL!!!