{"id":4113,"date":"2020-09-11T15:36:50","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T07:36:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=4113"},"modified":"2021-01-06T19:05:46","modified_gmt":"2021-01-06T11:05:46","slug":"beautiful-mooncakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/beautiful-mooncakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Vietnamese Baker Makes Beautiful Black Mooncakes That Look Like Pieces Of Art"},"content":{"rendered":"

Artistic mooncakes by a Vietnamese home baker<\/h2>\n
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The mid-autumn festival is fast approaching, which means it\u2019s once again the season of glowing lanterns, lion dances, and of course, mooncakes.<\/p>\n

But while most people are hitting up supermarkets or bakeries to bring home their favorite mooncake flavors, an amateur baker from Saigon has opted for something different. Using her artistic mind, she has created some gorgeous mooncakes<\/strong> that look so good you\u2019d almost feel bad eating them.<\/p>\n

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The cakes come in 11 different flavors<\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: An B\u00f9i<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

These beautifully adorned mooncakes are the products of B\u00f9i Th\u00fay An<\/a><\/strong>, a senior-year student at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture<\/strong>. An has harbored a passion for baking for years and has recently opened her own little bakery<\/strong> to pursue her interest.<\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: M\u1ef9 Thi\u00ean<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The first thing about An\u2019s mooncakes that captures attention is their pitch-black color<\/strong>, which she created using bamboo charcoal powder. According to An, the blackness represents the night, while the golden and silvery patterns<\/strong> on top of the cakes reflect the color of moonlight during mid-autumn.<\/p>\n

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\nThe patterns represent the colors of moonlight on a black sky<\/em>
\nImage credit: An B\u00f9i<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBlack is generally considered an unappealing color when it comes to food, but if you know how to make use of it, it can help push the cakes\u2019 presentation to a whole new level,\u201d the young baker said.<\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: An B\u00f9i<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The cakes come in 11 different fillings<\/strong>, from matcha to Nutella to salted eggs. They sell for VND110,000 – VND140,000 (~USD4.75-USD6.04)<\/strong> each.<\/p>\n

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\nA mooncake with lava custard fillings<\/em>
\nImage credit: An B\u00f9i<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

An shared her works on H\u1ecdc Vi\u1ec7n B\u1ebfp B\u00e1nh<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 a Facebook forum where baking enthusiasts discuss and share their experience \u2013 and was immediately met with a torrent of positive responses. Aside from comments praising the cakes as \u201c\u0111\u1eb9p\u201d (beautiful), many are also asking her to share the recipe.<\/p>\n

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Netizens also share their own homemade mooncakes<\/h3>\n
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Aside from An, many other aspiring home bakers also took to H\u1ecdc Vi\u1ec7n B\u1ebfp B\u00e1nh to share their own homemade mooncakes, which are impressive in their own right.<\/p>\n

For example, a member named V\u0169 Ng\u1ecdc \u00c1nh<\/a> from Hanoi decorated her cakes with patterns of lotus flowers and carp<\/strong>. In Vietnamese belief, the image of carp cycling the moon is a symbol of prosperity, while the lotus flowers are also associated with traditional Vietnamese values.<\/p>\n

\"\"Image credit: V\u0169 Ng\u1ecdc \u00c1nh<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, L\u00ea Th\u00f9y<\/a>, a lady from H\u1ed3 Ch\u00ed Minh City, molded mung bean paste into three-dimensional roses <\/strong>to adorn her products. The result was magnificent.<\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: L\u00ea Th\u00f9y<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

On the other hand, there are also some hilarious fails as well. Facebook user B\u1ea3o Th\u00fay<\/a>, for example, overslept while baking her cakes, resulting in what she called \u201cmidnight mooncakes\u201d for their charred surfaces<\/strong>. Still, many commenters actually found the ember-like color of the charred cakes unique and visually pleasing, saying that it\u2019s impressive how evenly overcooked they were.<\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: B\u1ea3o Th\u00fay<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Vietnamese bakers make beautiful mooncakes<\/h3>\n
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Mooncakes are an indispensable part of the mid-autumn festival. Not only are they delicious to eat, but they can also be a feast for the eyes as well \u2013 as these amateur Vietnamese bakers have proven with their homemade products.<\/p>\n

And if you are on the lookout for some unique mooncakes to enjoy with friends and family this upcoming mid-autumn festival, check out our list of 13 best mooncake bakeries in Vietnam<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more Vietnamese-related stories here:<\/p>\n