Fresh Pork Mooncake
A flaky baked pastry filled with seasoned fresh pork rather than sweet bean or lotus paste.
How to eat it
Break one open or take a small first bite, because freshly baked meat filling and juice can remain very hot. Eat it with your hands and keep the paper beneath it to catch the flaky crust.
The story behind the dish
Replacing sweet preserved filling with fresh pork turned the mooncake form into a savoury pastry that needs to be eaten relatively soon. Shanghai shops bake the layered dough until it flakes around the juicy centre. Although sales peak around the Mid-Autumn Festival, many established shops now make fresh pork mooncakes beyond the festival period.
For reference
Every kitchen does it its own way. What follows is the typical version — ingredients, heat and price shift from city to city and from one restaurant to the next, so take it as a guide rather than a fixed recipe.
If you have an allergy or something you can't eat, check with the staff before you order.