Pu Jue Vegetarian Mooncakes (普觉素月饼)

Mid-autumn festival is approaching again!  What mooncakes are you planning to get?  Baked vs snow-skin mooncakes?  For the past many years, my preference have always been to go for baked mooncakes.  But recently, I discovered the yummilicious vegetarian snow-skin mooncakes from Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, the largest Buddhist Monastery in Singapore.  The prices are really reasonable too.

Prices for baked mooncakes range between $32 to $45 per box of 4 while for snow skin, the prices range from $38 to $40 per box of 4 or $30 per box of 8.  This is probably one of the most pocket-friendly mooncakes that you can find in town these days.  If box of 4 is too much, you can get them in single pieces, also at very reasonable prices.

The choice of mooncakes include:

- White Lotus Paste
- Red Lotus Paste
- Hawaii Nut White Lotus Paste
- Olive Seed Red Lotus Paste
- Green Tea Paste with Melon Seed*
- Coffee Paste with Melon Seed
- Mixed Nuts Paste
- Durian Snow Skin*
- Pandan Snow Skin
- Mint Paste Snow Skin*

* Recommended Flavours

(Durian Snowskin Mooncake)

 



The packaging boxes are nice and elegant-looking. 

Sale of these vegetarian mooncakes are available from now until 8 September 2014 at the monastery's dining hall, between 9.30am to 3pm daily.  For enquiries about the mooncakes, please call 6849 5300.


Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
88 Bright Hill Road Singapore 574117
Website: http://www.kmspks.org/about/visiting/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kmspks?fref=ts

Getting there: Take the MRT to Bishan MRT station.  Walk to Bishan Bus Interchange and transfer to bus 410W.  Alight at the monastery gate's bus-stop .

[CNY 2014] Nian Gao

One of the Lunar New Year tradition is to eat Nian Gao (年糕), or some calls it Tian Guo (甜粿 or sweet cake).  It is a steamed sticky rice cake made using glutinous rice flour.  It is said to be an auspicious dish because it symbolises "raising oneself taller" in each coming year.  It doesn't mean to physically grow an inch taller, but it means having an improvement (in whatever ways) in the coming year.

Nian Gao can be easily purchased from confectionery shops or even at the supermarkets.  It comes if varying sizes and some even provide lucky number for lottery.  For some families, they prefer to make this special delicacy themselves.  Recipe for reference:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/29363-steamed-chinese-new-year-cake

As we celebrate and welcome the year of the galloping Horse, let's not forget the importance of gratitude, and not to take things for granted!  Watch this short video as a reminder to ourselves =)

Eastern (Dong Yuan) Rice Dumpling

It's the Dragon Boat Festival or Dumpling Festival tomorrow.  It typically falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.  Chinese celebrate this legendary festival by eating steamed rice dumplings, or locally known as bak zang. 

The dumplings come in several traditional recipes namely in Cantonese style, Hokkien style or Nonya style.  My favourite is the traditional is the savoury Hokkien dumpling, made using glutinous rice seasoned with dark soy sauce and 5 spices, dried mushrooms and pork belly.  Some come with the salted egg yolks too.  I have just bought mine from the famous Eastern Rice Dumplings (东园肉粽).  Not only is it reasonably priced and they are really really yummy.  To savour the traditional taste, this is one shop you should not miss.

Due to the festive season, the price has increased a little and be prepared to queue... so, be there early if you want to get hold of your favourite rice dumplings!

Eastern (Dong Yuan) Rice Dumpling
Cold Storage at Compass Point, Basement 1