Secret history of fresh meat moon cakes in Shanghai beach
Original Han Xiaoni’s guide to Shanghai residents’ life is included in the topic # Time-honored brand 1# Fresh meat moon cake 1.

The "moon cake season" is here again. The surging fresh meat moon cake industry in Shanghai is launching a new round of queuing time competition.
In fact, behind the uproar, Shanghai’s time-honored brands have many "secrets" about fresh meat moon cakes.
Where to start with too much material? Why don’t we start with the story of "Rashomon" between Guangming Village, Changchun and Harbin, the "Big Three" on Huaihai Road?
one

A long queue of fresh meat moon cakes in Guangming Village
Aunt, uncle and uncle came prepared.
I brought all the benches.
The Guangming Village on Huaihai Road is still in the same style this year, and the long queue to buy fresh moon cakes these days has been lined up to "Popeyes".
In fact, as early as late August, more than a month before the Mid-Autumn Festival, we found that this team "re-emerged".
A pot of 65 moon cakes and five boilers started in unison. In the afternoon of the working day, the long queue to buy moon cakes still blocked the alley next door.
An uncle in a white Polo shirt and a briefcase with one shoulder just squeezed out of the crowd and carried four boxes of fresh meat moon cakes in his hand.
"Allah’s age is more meticulous (careful), and I came to make a sample yesterday. I have to wait for an hour and a half in the morning, and the salesperson said that there will be fewer people in the next half day (afternoon). "
"I came over today to see that the team was quite long, and I bought it in less than 10 minutes."
"In fact, it is the most cost-effective to buy now, and you don’t suffer from queuing." My uncle is happy to share his "wrong peak" buying experience.

As early as late August,
Many customers came.
Cuofeng bought moon cakes.
"My name is lu, lu wan district. I am old Luwan, and buying this (moon cake) is nostalgic. " He said.
It turns out that the 73-year-old Lao Lu was born in Le ‘anfang opposite Guangming Village.
He came here to buy four boxes of moon cakes because there are four brothers and sisters, and he is going to send a box to the family.
Fresh meat moon cakes on Shanghai beach can be roughly divided into boiler pie and oven pie.
Lao Luting boiler pie. He said: "Now most of them are baked in the oven, and the baked grains are round, like steamed bread. Biting down is all flour, and it is stiff, indicating that the pastry is not done well. "
The fresh meat moon cakes in Guangming Village are baked in the boiler. "Its skin is crispy, and when you hold it in your hand, it looks like snowflakes layer by layer."

Fresh meat moon cake in Guangming Village
Belong to the "boiler school"
Both sides of the moon cake are flat.
I have bought it for many years, and Lao Lu even knows the "inheritance" of his mooncake skills clearly.
"It turned out that an old master was doing it himself in the first generation, and it was always good to eat the minced meat."
"We belong to the mouth is a knot in one’s heart. After the old master retired two years ago, we found that there was sugar in the stuffing, which was not delicious. Fortunately, it was changed back immediately after one year. "
"Now are two aunts in the roast. However, I think the master’s’ True Sutra’ has basically been handed down. "

Auntie used a pan.
On-site baking of fresh meat moon cakes
Has been "true" by the master.
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In Shanghai’s "Fresh Meat Moon Cake List" commented by the public, Guangming Village currently tops the list and stands at the top of the contempt chain.
However, in the middle section of Huaihai Road (), which is characterized by cakes and cooked food and has successfully developed a "earthy taste", other time-honored brands are not "vegetarian".
Bright Village is not the only one selling fresh meat moon cakes.
Taikang, which has set up a baking counter for local products all over the country, and Laodafang in the South District, which has just opened its store, are "away from home", but the price is set at "proud", and one fresh meat moon cake is sold in 6 yuan.
Changchun Food Store and Laodachang are "old lands", and the price of fresh meat moon cakes is the same as that of Guangming Village, so they sell one from 5 yuan.
Laodachang is also a "boiler pie", and there is a pan in the shop that is now for sale.

Lao da Chang de fresh meat moon cake
Do it now and sell it now
There are many people who like it.
Although the popularity is not as good as that of Guangming Village, there are people queuing in twos and threes from time to time at the counters shared by Liuxin Egg-yolk Crisp, Barbecued Crisp and Coconut Roll.
In contrast, Changchun treats fresh meat moon cakes more seriously and has set up a special counter.
Its fresh meat moon cakes are usually "oven pie", but near the Mid-Autumn Festival, the variety of traditional boiler baking has recently been added.

Changchun food store
Specially set up a fresh meat moon cake counter.
The poster emphasizes the use of Eisen meat.
Speaking of fresh meat moon cakes, Changchun sighed.
The so-called "thirty years in Hedong, thirty years in Hexi", once upon a time, fresh meat moon cakes in Changchun were the "king of popularity" in this street.
"Allah was originally artificial, baked with a pan of charcoal fire, and began to do it in 1997." Insiders in Changchun said, "There are about ten years in Guang Chen, and Allah has done a good job."

Changchun is now all year round.
Fresh meat moon cakes baked in an oven
Add "Boiler Edition" before Mid-Autumn Festival.
In this regard, insiders of Guangming Village also admit that fresh meat moon cakes in Changchun sold better than them at first.
As for how to catch up with it later, insiders in Guangming Village say:
"One year after the renovation (referring to Changchun), Allah began to overtake. In fact, we were ready before this, and the quality was quite tight. So I rushed out once I had the chance. "
In this regard, Changchun is noncommittal, just saying: "We are ancestors of fresh meat moon cakes." He also revealed that Guangming Village had learned from them in his early years.
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I heard that the fresh meat moon cakes in Changchun are "ancestors", and Harbin Food Factory laughed.
An old mage who worked in Harbin Food Factory for many years told us: "We first taught Changchun fresh meat moon cakes."
The origin is this:
Harbin and Changchun belong to Shanghai Tobacco Group.
"Changchun was originally just a retail store. They want to diversify and be a’ front shop and back factory’-the workshop upstairs produces moon cakes and then sells them in the shop downstairs. "
Therefore, as a brother unit of the same group, Harbin is duty-bound to teach the skills of making moon cakes.
In Harbin, which started with Russian West Point, fresh meat moon cakes are actually well-founded. Because a few years ago, Gao Qiao Food Factory was merged into Harbin.
Back then, Gao Qiao Food Factory’s fresh meat moon cake was also a famous brand on Huaihai Road.
In 1983, it was reported in Wen Wei Po that Gao Qiao Food Factory on Huaihai Road insisted on supplying fresh meat, moon cakes and other special varieties, which were well received by consumers.

In Wen Wei Po in 1983.
On the products such as fresh meat and moon cakes in Gao Qiao Food Factory
Sent a photo news (right)
There is even a saying that the predecessor of fresh meat moon cakes is Gao Qiao muffins.
Gao Qiao muffin is one of the four famous spots in the ancient town of Gao Qiao, which has a history of one hundred years. Among them, Gao Qiao muffins with fresh meat stuffing are crispy and juicy, which is said to have gradually evolved into fresh meat moon cakes.
Now that Changchun and Guangming Village are leading the way, the old master of Harbin admits: "The apprentice defeated the master."
In this regard, Harbin is also calm: "Their meat stuffing is wrapped on the spot and baked very fresh. Unlike our meat stuffing, it was delivered after being frozen in the factory on Quxi Road. "
"So we thought about it, and our focus is not on fresh meat moon cakes."
The "Big Three" on Huaihai Road have their own opinions about fresh meat moon cakes, which have been interpreted as a "Rashomon" story.
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Looking at the whole country, Shanghai may be the city that loves fresh meat moon cakes most. Hungry take-away data show that last year, Shanghainese ate 53% of the country’s fresh moon cakes.
When did Shanghainese begin to like fresh meat moon cakes? It is probably impossible to test the age.
However, we can see from the database that as early as 1928, an advertisement for old Yuchang fresh meat moon cakes on Aiduoya Road (now Yan ‘an East Road) was published in Shenbao.

This advertisement in Shenbao, a bus stop at Sinan Road, Huaihai Middle Road, said
Lao Yu Chang de Xiao zhi fresh meat moon cake
"Choose the best ingredients, so it’s delicious."
Regarding the origin of fresh meat moon cakes, the version introduced by the real boss room is that in the past, there was a kind of fresh meat dumplings that was very popular in Soviet-style tea.
Its outer skin is brown and crispy, the middle layer is delicate and crisp, and the inner layer is fresh and firm meat stuffing.
Later, a master "opened his brain wide" and changed the shape and size of fresh meat dumplings, which became fresh meat moon cakes.

Zhen Lao da Fang de fresh meat moon cake
Belong to "oven pie"
There are also many fans.
On September 14th, 1980, Liberation Daily reported that there were 147 units producing moon cakes in Shanghai catering industry that year, among which 127 households produced fresh meat moon cakes.

In Liberation Daily in 1980.
Report on Mid-Autumn Moon Cake
Two years later, Wen Wei Po reported that on the eve of Mid-Autumn Festival, nearly 200 restaurants in this city served fresh meat moon cakes. In order to meet the needs of consumers, the supply of fresh meat moon cakes this year increased by about 50% compared with the previous year.
The supply of stores and output both increased because "fresh moon cakes are crispy in skin, big in stuffing, fresh and bittern in meat, salty and sweet, and have a unique flavor. Generally, they are sold now, baked while cooking, and full of fragrance, which is very popular among consumers."
In 1989, Liberation Daily continued to report that "the sales of sweet moon cakes dropped sharply, but the sales of fresh moon cakes soared."
"Salty moon cakes are the most popular ones, so there are more than 70 shops selling fresh meat moon cakes on the streets of Shanghai this year, and even some fresh meat moon cakes made by big cake stalls are queued, which is in short supply."

In Liberation Daily in 1989
Report on Mid-Autumn Moon Cake
According to the report, fresh meat moon cakes are favored because the tastes of Shanghainese are changing.
"A customer who queued up in front of Yuelaifang Food Store in Putuo District told the reporter: Nowadays, moon cakes are like sugar cakes, which are too sweet and expensive. They are not as good as cheap and good meat moon cakes, which are fresh and fragrant."
By the way, Yue Laifang, who lives in the west of Shanghai, also has a name in the "History of Fresh Meat Mooncakes in Shanghai". Many people believe that fresh meat moon cakes were first sold by Yue Laifang.
It can be seen that over the years, Shanghai people’s preference for fresh meat moon cakes has been increasing day by day and has never been reduced.
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If we say that the "love and hate" between Guangming Village, Changchun and Harbin on Huaihai Road around fresh meat moon cakes is a story of nearly twenty years.
Then, on Nanjing Road, another famous commercial street in Shanghai, the real old house has been famous for a long time.

Before the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2003
The queue of the real boss’s room is grand
/Shao Jianping photo
As early as 1982, it was reported in the newspaper that the fresh meat moon cakes in the real boss’s room won the first prize in the quality appraisal of moon cakes by catering companies in the city.
In 1986, Xinmin Evening News reported, "The fresh meat moon cakes produced by this store pay attention to the strict control of specifications and quality, and the minced meat is all lean-legged meat. Since its listing, the daily sales volume has reached about 3,000 kilograms. "

In Xinmin Evening News in 1986
A report on the real boss’s house
In 2005, the Jiang Shen Service Herald wrote: "Every year’s’ moon cake season’, there will be amazing all-weather’ long queues’ here, sometimes even winding more than 100 meters!"
However, on Nanjing Road, the real boss has a close competitor-Taikang.

▼

Public comment
Netizens like the mooncakes of the two families.
Compare them.
In 2011, "Morning News" took stock of the "queuing index" of the time-honored fresh meat moon cakes in Shanghai. The two companies are comparable, and the queue time is about 6 hours.

A report in the Morning News in 2011
Inspected the time-honored brands.
"queuing index" of fresh meat moon cakes
What I want to tell the people who eat melons quietly here is that these two food stores with their own fans are actually "a family"-both belong to Taikang Food Co., Ltd.
Some people go to Huaihai Road and Nanjing Road to queue up to buy moon cakes every year, but in the eyes of citizens in the western district, the fresh meat moon cakes in the old house in the western district are the best ones.
The story of the real boss’s house and the old boss’s house in the west end of the country, which was taught by the same family in the early years, has been "eight" before, so we can’t press it here.
The fresh meat moon cakes of these two companies have always been equally famous, ranking almost the same.
We went through the newspaper pile again, and in 1982 and 1986, when the real boss room was reported, the boss room in the west side was also reported.
"At the entrance of Jing ‘an Temple’s’ Western District Old House’, customers often queue up to buy fresh meat moon cakes. An old uncle praised:’ the fresh meat moon cakes here are delicious and keep on selling all year round.’ ….. Near the Mid-Autumn Festival, the business of "the old house in the west side" is better. On September 7th, more than 14,700 fresh meat moon cakes were sold. "
-Xinmin Evening News, September 08, 1982, "The fragrance of cakes is accompanied by the fragrance of osmanthus"

Just like the real boss’s room.
The old house in the west side is also often there.
Appeared in reports about fresh meat moon cakes.
"The special fresh meat moon cakes produced by the old house in the west area of Jing ‘an Temple this year are among the best in the evaluation of the city tobacco and sugar company."
-Xinmin Evening News, September 12, 1986, "Fresh meat moon cakes here are welcomed by customers"
They all say "orange in the south and orange in the north". Last year, our old friend, folk photographer Shou Yousen, saw in Jing ‘an Temple that the fresh meat moon cakes in the old house in the West District were treated in line as usual.
Taikang, who had a long queue on Nanjing Road, opened the counter next to the old house in the west, but it was deserted. .

Seeing Taikang, which is very popular on Nanjing Road.
It’s cold next door to the old house in the west side
Shouyousen sent a circle of friends.
It seems that Shanghainese eat fresh meat moon cakes, which are not only delicious, but also famous and lively.

References:
1. Qiu Wenhan, "Long queues on Nanjing Road only taste Mid-Autumn Festival", Jiefang Daily, September 11, 2019.
2. Tang Ye, Huang Yongdi and Huang Jianjian, "Where are the earliest fresh meat moon cakes? Only Shanghai gourmets know, Jiefang Daily Shangguan News, August 27, 2017.
3. Xu Yanfei, "Shanghainese ate 53% of the fresh moon cakes in China", Morning News, September 13, 2019.
4. Gu Zheng, "For this dough of 4 yuan, some people stand with a backache, and some people are busy until 2 o’clock in the middle of the night", WeChat WeChat official account "Guide to Shanghai Residents’ Life", August 26, 2018.
5. Ji Ming, "Mid-Autumn moon cakes enter the peak of production and sales", Jiefang Daily, September 14, 1980.
6. Ji Ming, "Fresh moon cakes are full of fragrance", Wen Wei Po, September 24, 1982.
7. Sun Weixing, Shi Peining, "The Fragrant Cake Accompanies the Fragrant Osmanthus fragrans", Xinmin Evening News, September 08, 1982.
8. Xu Jingyuan, "The quality of moon cakes in a century-old shop is strictly controlled", Xinmin Evening News, September 3, 1986.
9. Zhou Minglu, "Fresh moon cakes here are popular with customers", Xinmin Evening News, September 12, 1986.
10. Yu Kanghua, "Weak sales in the moon cake market", Jiefang Daily, September 14, 1989.
11. Chen Xiaojun and Chen Haiyan, "Taking stock of" Lailaifeng "food" These shops are always waiting in line! Jiang Shen Service Herald, December 07, 2005.
12. Xu Yun, Mao Yi and Chen Shuyi, "8.5 hours! The queue record of fresh meat moon cakes will be refreshed again, Morning News, September 10, 2011.
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Original title: "Secret History of Fresh Meat Mooncakes in Shanghai Beach"
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