Let's ask Qingtian: The century -old Mid -Autumn Festival memory mentioned

Moon cakes, shaped like full moon, meaning reunion and beauty, are the most familiar Mid -Autumn Festival food in the Chinese people. A century ago, with the strengthening of cross -regional economic liaison and the changes in modern urban life and business culture, the "style" of the metropolis and the moon cakes of some small towns had undergone significant and delicate changes. What is the pattern and characteristics of modern moon cakes? Is moon cake just a "ritual food" for modern citizens? And along the handwriting of scribes and journalists a century ago, a glimpse of the "modern history of moon cakes".

Mooncake genre rivers and lakes

The vast territory determines that China will never look tedious in terms of moon cake flow. The "Chinese Folk Food" written by Japanese folk investigators in 1942 listed the representative tastes of the three major moon cakes "system": "Southern style: ham, five kernels, roses, bean paste, salt and pepper, jujube mud, bacon, onion, green onion, green onion, onion Oil; northern style: white, tap red, pulp, turning hair, big moon cakes; Cantonese: bean Rong, lotus, salty legs, lotus seeds ".

Compared with this classification, for today's Chinese people, "Su, Guang two points" are more familiar methods. In 1928, the "Common Sense" magazine compiled the main classification of moon cakes in Shanghai. According to the general logic of "Su, Guang two points": "It can be divided into two types of moon cakes and local moon cakes. The two factions are made by Guangzhou people, and the other is made by Chaozhou people. The local moon cakes can also be divided into Suist and Ning factions. "

The Soviet moon cake is the main "hometown moon cake" in the Yangtze River Delta. In the moon cakes in other parts of the Yangtze River Delta, Cantonese moon cakes are often linked to "sweet", and the Soviet -style moon cakes do the opposite, focusing on the "salty" taste. A Hangzhou moon cake shop advertisement in 1936 "Southeast Daily" shows that the Soviet -style moon cakes on sale include "three fresh, green onion oil, cloud legs, fresh meat" and other types, while Cantonese moon cakes have "bean paste, jujube mud, hundreds of hundreds of mud, hundreds of hundreds The flavors such as "sweet and salty are clear.

In modern times, some of the "variants" of Soviet moon cakes are also loved by residents. In 1938, the "Xianghai Pictorial" mentioned that "the area around Zhejiang Road in Nanjing Road, there is a copper -sheet -like pepper -pepper small moon cake, each sold for a copper dollar, which is very big." Of course, within the scope of the "Suist" food culture outside Suzhou, many special moon cakes have also been pregnant. In 1946, Shanghai "Wenfan" Weekly mentioned "in the northern Jiangsu area, especially Huaiyin and other places. , Kankai is comparable to the orthodoxy -style moon cake.

Or seeking new psychological influence, many diners in the Yangtze River Delta have been "seeing different thoughts" a century ago, and were attracted by a wide -scale moon cake. In 1935, the author of "Southeast Daily" compared: "In the past, we know that there is only one moon cake, the so -called 'Soviet -style moon cake' ... It is easy to make your teeth mad ... Since Guangdong moon cakes follow Chenpi and the like to Hangzhou, Hangzhou people have shifted their hobbies for moon cakes ... Especially the outer layer of the moon cakes, after proper baking The yellowish yellow, don't eat it, look at it for a look, not better than the Soviet style, sometimes you will make the "Wushuo Eight Gong", and people dare not put them in their mouths. "

What's more, at that time, there were Suzhou people who went to Shanghai to taste a wide range of moon cakes. In 1943, a Suzhou literati recalled the "moon cake fun" that happened in Shanghai in Shanghai in "Declaration": "My father and mother originally wanted to" Dangma Road ", but my sister and I were noisy. You must eat Guangdong moon cakes. This Guangdong moon cake is every time the father go home from Shanghai and always bring us a few to us, so he is the most impressive. As soon as he arrives in Shanghai, he keeps these four words. Take us to the real estate, a lot of Guangdong teahouse, drinking oolong tea, and eating the Guangdong moon cake. "

For the people in the modern metropolis, Cantonese moon cakes are "expensive". Not only the price of each small moon cake is higher than the Soviet -style, but also the "big moon cakes" for rich sacrifices and enjoying it. In 1943, a writer lamented in "Xinmin Daily Half Monthly", "I have seen large moon cakes in Nanjing and Shanghai. It is about two inches thick and there is always one foot five in diameter. . In the window, there are various patterns on the top, which is cute and cute. However, how does this big moon cake taste not only taste, but my friends don't know. "

Exquisite and prosperous moon cake market

In 1935, the "Machine Federation Conference" mentioned: "The moon cake site in the Shanghai market twenty years ago was completely occupied by Soviet -style. Cantonese -style moon cakes, but it should be embellished from time to time. The power in the market is really minimal. Later, year after year, the sales of Cantonese were gradually booming, but the Soviet -style sales became increasingly backward. To this day, the power of the Shanghai moon cake market is completely replaced by Cantonese. " The rise of Cantonese moon cakes means that moon cakes have embarked on the road towards large marketization and consumerism.

Speaking of the large -scale marketization of moon cakes, Shanghai Guanshengyuan is undoubtedly the most classic case in that era. In 1936, the writer of the "New Year's Eve" described the situation after visiting Guanshengyuan Mooncake Water Line: "The work is very tight, and even the aisle is filled with the already made moon cakes. There are many female workers who are pinching the stuffing. They pinch the stuffed stuffing into a round ball, then call it on the scale, and then send it to the male worker. A layer of skin was wrapped on a stuffing, rubbing the round, and the other male worker was flattened in the model, and then the soft embryo became. So it was sent to the stove room. After baking, after ten minutes to half an hour, you can respond to the market after packing. " At that time, Guansheng Garden also established the raw material supply chain covering the moon cake products. In 1940, the Guansheng Garden Bean pastey moon cake advertisement on the "Shenzhou Daily" stated that the product was "use Taicang specialty red beans, with Chaozhou white sugar, rose sugar, etc. ", The north -south Zhenwei melts in a stuffing, it is unique. Guan Shengyuan successfully created a "moon cake empire" with industrialization and commercial thinking. In 1946, Guan Guansheng revealed in a special interview with "Saturday" Weekly, "Now Guansheng Garden can produce five or 60,000 large moon cakes daily, more than 100,000 small moon cakes, and marketing all over the country." This is undoubtedly a powerful record.

Similar to Shanghai, the consumption habits of the people such as Nanjing and other metropolis also turned to Cantonese moon cakes in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1932, "Nanjing Evening News" commented that "Sixteen years ago, the widest moon cake sales roads in this Beijing were the first to push the Soviet system. The people gathered in Kyoto, so the business of the Soviet -made moon cakes fell thousands of feet, and the broad moon cakes were specially specially specially specialized. "

In 1936, the "Real News" talked about the production and marketing of Peiping Cantonese -style moon cakes, which showed a little "localization" trend -Cantonese -style moon cakes have already become the conventional snacks of Peiping Mid -Autumn Festival, coexisting with traditional Beijing sweets: " These two Guangdong moon cakes will open the furnace on July 15th, until the furnace of the Mid -Autumn Festival. The master was invited by Guangdong in the past, and now it was learned and manufactured by Peiping. The mud, jujube mud, cooking winter melon, mixing five kernel stuffing, etc. are all. After opening the furnace, you can make two hundred pounds of moon cakes to 400 pounds a day. "".

Of course, competition is only the relationship between different genre mooncakes. In most cities, Soviet -style and Cantonese moon cakes can coexist in harmony and meet the tastes of the old ladies in a targeted manner. In 1933, the reporter of "Declaration" visited Shanghai Nanjing Road mainland shopping mall and found that "the autumn festival moon cake industry has been listed, the Soviet -style moon cakes of the Ministry of Local Products, Cantonese Mooncakes of the Ministry of Candy Department, Ning -style moon cakes of the South Store Department are delicious and delicious." This harmonious scenery is the true portrayal of the Mooncake market in the modern metropolis.

A century ago, the savvy citizens made the moon cake business "extreme". In 1944, "Oriental Daily" stated that "there is a shop at the sea, specializing in food food, selling rice dumplings around and after noon, selling rice cakes before and after the Spring Festival. The attached business opportunities are extremely played. In 1932, "Electric Sound Daily" also mentioned that there are also many "small shop -made moon cakes in Shanghai. The area of ​​North Sichuan Road is especially the area where the four words" Mid -Autumn Festival Moon Cake "are dancing everywhere!" Moon cakes have long been long! Become a urban landscape in Shanghai in autumn.

The freshly grilled moon cakes of the pot qi

Moon cakes are not only gifts, but also seasonal foods. The memory of the mooncakes a century ago also rose everywhere. Moon cake closest to the people's livelihood is the "street stall" Soviet moon cake.

In 1938, the monthly magazine of "Shanghai Life" stated that "the emerging moon cake stalls in the past three or four years, like the ears of the Satalum, are divided into the roadside of the heads of the headquarters. There are three wooden boards, five or six wooden plates, the whole seat of the oven, and several carton boxes. It is already full of wealth. Two or three people, like big cakes and fritters stalls. In the case, the price of moon cakes is cheaper than the same gangs. Small citizens are cheerful. " Most of the citations are not false, but don't misunderstand the "filling" statement, the Soviet moon cakes on the streets of old Shanghai are also very attractive. In 1938, the Weekly Magazine article on the World News: "Recently, the mustard moon cakes of Caizhizhai in Shanghai, with meat and mustard as stuffing. Its flavor is better than ordinary meat moon cakes in Suzhou. It is very welcomed by Shanghai customers. Many customers every afternoon, standing next to the stove, waiting for people to salvate. "

Suzhou, one of the "birthplace" of Su -style moon cakes, is now full of fresh fragrance in the lane of the early autumn.

In 1947, the "Iron News" reported that "In the past few days, a view of Guanqian Street and Half Palace Lane has become the world of moon cake stalls. One of the old gentlemen from watching the West to Guan East, a total of eighteen stalls, Gongxiang Lane, Gongxiang Lane There are also six or seven stalls in the northern section of Li North. These stalls are all made of small moon cakes like Mexico's "Eagle Ocean", which are about half inches thick. Sweet ones are roses, ginkgo, sand sand, salt and pepper, salt and pepper. There are five types of jujube mud. There are three salty ones: ham, onion lard and fresh pork, and the salty business is Maomei. Because of the freshly baked meat moon cake, the taste is really beautiful. " For the citizens of Suzhou at the time, moon cakes were not only delicious on the street, but also a living for people to support their homes. In 1946, the Newspaper Weekly investigated the situation of Suzhou street moon cake stalls: "Because the need is not large, simple homemade moon cake stalls can be seen everywhere on the street corners. I earn a cold clothing fee. According to the vendors, I told reporters that a pot of moon cakes can be roasted on average seven or eighty, ranging from five or seven furnaces a day. Self -made moon cake with full love

Although most people purchased moon cakes from the market a century ago, there are also cases of self -made moon cakes passing Mid -Autumn Festival. In 1925, a Huzhou author of the "New Year's Eve" explained the tradition of hometown: "Our moon cakes are used to use the stuffing to call them in the store, and the taste is better than buying it." In 1936, the author of Wuxi's "Life Road" also held a similar point of view: "Eating is tired of Wuxi moon cakes, and then tasted Guangdong moon cakes, it is indeed a flavor." To this end, he showed readers the Cantonese -style bean paste moon cake System approach.

Judging from the report at that time, the technique of self -made moon cakes in the country not only made the stream of production shops, but also often had some personality differences. In 1925, the "New Year's Daily" described a moon cake leather method between Jiangyin Township: "Mix half of fat or vegetarian oil and cooked water, mix with hot water, each take half, and the moon cakes made of large and small views are determined. Show into a pancake, stack the two stacks, roll it into a shaft, and re -exhibit. After becoming a pancake, roll it up and make it. After several times, it is rolled into a shaft, inserted into one end of it with the index finger, It becomes a round cup shape, put the filling into the spherical shape, "which is different from the large recipes that year.

The limited newspapers recalling that it was not difficult to find that people were self -made at the time, most of them were Soviet moon cakes. Why is this an important reason? One important reason is that the Soviet -style mooncake materials are more "close to the people" and the production procedures are more concise. In 1935, "Family New Recipes" stated that the production of Soviet -style moon cakes In addition to using a pound of dried flour and two pounds of oil (lard) oil, the following materials need to be "waited" as the filling: Four or two, cloud legs four or two, green onions and five branches, Chen Shaoxing rice wine one or two, thick soy sauce one or two ". These contents are far closer to the people's own kitchen than the tedious Cantonese cake fillings such as Lotus Rong and Wuren. Similarly, the baking of Cantonese moon cakes is also troublesome than a stove and a pot that can be made in a pot. Maintain the function of standard temperature. "

Of course, the most chance to taste fresh moon cakes is the owner and his family of the snack shop. In 1927, a writer reviewed the story of the tea food workshop at home in "Silk", which wrote a scene when the family rushed to make moon cakes before the Mid -Autumn Festival: "Every time they make cakes, they make a one for me. Small good stuffing 'sand washing cake' or 'jujube mud cake'. The newly baked hot moon cake flavor is better than that after it is colder. " Such a blessing, outsiders are afraid that it is difficult to have a chance to experience it.

Full -time moon cake packaging

As early as a century ago, the packaging of moon cakes was a hot topic before and after the Mid -Autumn Festival. The simplicity or luxury difference between packaging also occurs mainly between the "competitors" of Soviet -style moon cakes and Cantonese moon cakes.

In 1925, "Half Moon" magazine said the historical changes of Suzhou moon cake packaging: "Handicular shoulders are all these colorful moon cake boxes. Those who are thin and eat are very macro. Regarding the packaging details of the simple packaging moon cakes in this type of wooden chip box, there is a description in the "World Morning Post" in 1935: "Four boxes as a box, boxes with thin wood slices, external paper wrap, sticker signboard. Horizontal end. The horizontal end. Cover a red seal, the text has the word "harmony", and indicate the price on it. " The more grass -rooted Shanghai moon cake stalls will even be simply packaged with "made of white paper" in the 1928 "common sense" magazine. It can be seen that the simple packaging of Soviet moon cakes at that time was mainly functional, not serving aesthetic purposes. Just as the meaning of the Suzhou saying in the "Half Moon" magazine before, Su -style moon cakes are focusing on "food" and do not focus on "decoration".

In contrast, various Cantonese -style moon cakes in Shanghai a hundred years ago generally paid attention to "face value", especially the artisticization of packaging was very important. In 1946, the "News" weekly sarcastic: "'fancy' point, then the beautiful name of 'Santan Yinyue' '" Yunshang Xianyue "and other beautiful names, each price is 60,000 or 80,000. The most luxurious moon cake in the garden is still in manufacturing. The name is 'safe years', which sells for 130,000 yuan. Two thousand yuan, the name is 'Datong World' ". The excessive beautification of Cantonese moon cakes is more than that. In 1943, "New Capital Weekly" pointed out that there are two types of "eye -catching" in Cantonese moon cakes: "The cake noodles do not need to print the floating shadow, but paint by hand, or pile up with sugar flower paper. A cake, each occupies a round box, the box surface is covered with a very thin gauze, using the cake in the box, and the glass box noodles. There is also a shape of a piglet. In the outer cover, a "little pig cage" that is dyed in color is made of a bamboo, which is used by coaxing children. " This is obviously far from the essence of moon cakes as Mid -Autumn Festival food, and it is also separated from folk cultural tracks due to excessive business atmosphere. A century ago in the Shanghai Mooncake Market, a period of "face is better than Lizi". In 1938, the Weekly Review of the World News summarized: "Cantonese -style moon cakes are novel, pay special attention to style and decoration, and work hard to promote it, which has attracted people's attention. Decoration is backward, not to pay attention to publicity, so in its market position, it will be dominant by Cantonese -style moon cakes. " This is a direct cause of the Cantonese -style mooncakes and the decline of the Soviet -style mooncakes. Sadly, many Soviet -style moon cakes in Shanghai have also followed the trend of "face project". In 1928, the "Common Sense" magazine reported that "the previous moon cake boxes were really not sophisticated. In the past three or four years, everyone has actually been sophisticated in the decoration outside the box." It seems that the disadvantages of overwing the moon cake boxes must eventually rely on consumer mentality to completely solve them.

(Zou Yantao, Department of History, Shanghai University)

- END -