On a chance to enjoy Phuong Thang mooncakes given to him by an acquaintance, Mr. Pham Duc Trong Thanh (32 years old, Hanoi) was very impressed with the baked and soft cakes with traditional shapes and flavors of this brand. Since then, this has become one of the mooncake shops in Hanoi that he often visits during the Reunion Festival.
According to Mr. Trong Thanh, the owner of Phuong Thang Mooncake Factory is Mr. Nguyen Phuong Thang, now nearly 70 years old. Initially, he was taught the craft by his parents, Mr. Thang only made mooncakes for his family, then sold them seasonally.
The bakery only sells moon cakes until the morning of the 15th of the 8th lunar month, and on weekdays it switches to making pork patties and sesame round cakes. The bakery is located in alley 97, lane 51 Van Cao, a familiar address or one that is known only through tips. Even the contact information printed on the cake boxes is still a landline number.
Having witnessed the process of making traditional moon cakes and moon cakes at Phuong Thang bakery, Mr. Trong Thanh expressed that each cake is made very meticulously and elaborately by the workers. The ingredients were prepared by Mr. Thang before the full moon of the 7th lunar month, including flour, pumpkin jam, lard, etc.
In addition, there are more elaborate ingredients prepared in spring such as grapefruit flower water to create a fragrant scent for moon cakes, distilled when the flowers are in full bloom, kumquat jam... Or soft, pink sausages that Mr. Thang also ordered from an acquaintance in the Central region to send.
Having been involved with traditional moon cakes for many years, Mr. Thang has come up with his own secrets to ensure that each cake is fully baked with full flavor and aroma. From the stage of mixing the flour, mixing the filling, to the baking time, Mr. Thang "measures and weighs" to make each batch of cake golden and fragrant.
Mr. Trong Thanh said that Mr. Thang carefully adjusted the baking time so that the cake would be evenly cooked. In particular, between each baking session, the cake had a rest period, then was sprinkled with a layer of moist water.
“The step of letting the cake rest and then sprinkling it with water, as revealed by the bakery owner, is to help the cake become spongy and keep its shape before brushing the egg. It also creates a more fragrant and beautiful color for the cake,” said Mr. Trong Thanh.
At this traditional mooncake factory, diners can also buy beautiful traditional carp and goldfish shaped mooncakes. From a wooden carp and goldfish mold that is several decades old, Mr. Thang places the shell, puts in the filling according to the quantity so that the dough covers the filling. Then, he skillfully uses just enough force to press the shell in the mold to clearly show the carp and goldfish patterns.
To prevent the tail of the carp and goldfish cakes from breaking when baked, the baker will put in two sharpened skewers. “Each batch of baked cakes has a fragrant aroma. The crust is crispy and has the right thickness. The sweet and salty filling blends well, and the sticky rice cake has the fragrant scent of grapefruit flowers.”
Mr. Trong Thanh added that the cake retains the traditional recipe, so when enjoyed with tea, it will have a sweeter flavor.
Keeping the traditional mooncakes of the past intact, the factory only has traditional types such as vegetarian sticky rice, mixed, green bean and salted egg... The price of mooncakes at Phuong Thang factory ranges from 50,000 - 200,000 VND depending on the type of filling and size of the cake.
