KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 — While everyone has their preferences when it comes to mooncakes, there is one that seems to evoke a “love it or hate it” reaction. No middle ground.
Yes, it's the mixed nuts mooncake, also known as Wu Ren.
Filled to the brim with assorted nuts, it seems to be especially unpopular with the younger crowd.
The reason for the detestation? The inexplicable “weirdness” of its smell and aftertaste it seems.
Traditionally, mixed nuts mooncakes are made using five different types of nuts or seeds - walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, melon seeds and olive seeds - which are roasted and crushed into smaller pieces to be added to a flour mixture.
The five nuts and seeds are believed to represent prosperity, good health and abundance.
In Chinese culture, seeds are often associated with fertility and the continuation of the family line as the word zi (the Chinese word for “seed” is the same word used for “son”).
In terms of taste, Wu Ren is crispy, nutty and slightly sweet.
Over the years, the recipe has changed with different ingredients being swapped out or added into the mix such as candied tangerine, candied lotus seeds or candied winter melons to infuse the filling with a tinge of sweetness; there are also substitutions with pumpkin seeds, macadamia or sunflower seeds.
Gordon Khoong, second-generation proprietor of TK Bakery, said the traditional Wu Ren mooncake is one of many regional variants from the Guangdong province in China.
“Wu Ren (or five kernels) mooncake signifies a bountiful harvest as the old Chinese proverb says wu gu feng shou which roughly translates to 'abundant harvest of the five grains'.
“As the name implies, Wu Ren mooncakes are always made up of five types of nuts and seeds,” he told Malay Mail.
For TK Bakery's Wu Ren mooncakes, Khoong said they have made minor changes to the traditional recipe by including two types of almond sourced from China and the United States instead of the usual one type.
For sweetness, candied winter melon has been added and dried deseeded tangerine is also added to give the mooncake a fruity fragrance.
However, he said the usage of tangerine peel might have contributed to people's dislike as different brands have their respective Wu Ren recipe which may or may not be liked by everyone.
“Some people also find it very troublesome to eat since there is more chewing needed than with other traditional mooncakes. Then again, the more you bite into it, the more fragrance is released.
“I think now, slowly but surely, more have tried and begun to embrace Wu Ren,” he said.
Stephanie Chan of Bake by La Petite said she is aware of the fandom surrounding the mixed nuts mooncake but admits she is not one of them.
However, Chan has experimented with Wu Ren by giving it an alcoholic twist that seems to make it more acceptable to younger consumers.
“Our generation... we do not like mixed nuts because of one ingredient, rose syrup. So for my variation, I use Martell (cognac) as a substitute.”
Rose syrup is often used as a sweetener for a Wu Ren variant - Kam Tui (Cantonese for golden thigh) which includes all the five seeds plus ham meat.
“(The fandom) is very extreme (on opposite ends), just like durians and coriander, no in-between,” she told Malay Mail.
Nevertheless, she said Wu Ren was considered a must-have premium mooncake and this is demonstrated by its pricing and significance in gift giving when compared to other types of mooncakes.
Chan said this may be why the older generation tends to be more appreciative of Wu Ren despite the emergence of more contemporary styled mooncakes in modern times.
Despite it being divisive, Wu Ren's popularity has not waned with the passage of time.
Chan said Wu Ren is a way to connect with Chinese heritage and customs. “We still see younger customers buying Wu Ren for their parents even though it's just one or two pieces, so it is all about sincerity and the art of giving back during the festive period,” she said.
For Khoong who has over 14 years of mooncake baking experience, it is highly unlikely for Wu Ren to be “forgotten and go extinct” just because there are differences in opinion and support.
“Most importantly, we have to innovate and improve ourselves, accepting new challenges and incorporating new knowledge in our trade because now everything is changing.
“If we do not follow the passage of time, we will be swept away. So it all depends on how we promote Wu Ren because we can explore different variations of it,” he said.
