Bullfrog-with-pickled-cabbage mooncake (File photo)

A new round of mooncake competition among ambitious bakeries has already begun, despite the fact that this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival is still two months away. One of the most popular ways for bakeries to attract new customers every year is to come up with some unexpected yet appealing mooncake fillings.

In the morning of July 31, a long line was seen outside a famed bakery in Shanghai. The reason was an unprecedentedly great flavor for mooncakes: prawn cheese. “We usually introduce new products at least a month ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Only early movers can get a good sale,” said Zheng Jue, the assistant manager of the bakery.

(Photo/Weibo)

In another store, a new line of meat-stuffed mooncakes was unveiled. Apart from traditional pork mooncake, the most eye-catching was the bullfrog-with-pickled-cabbage mooncake. According to the manager, Ding Huijuan, bullfrog mooncake was targeted at young people, who are believed to enjoy bullfrog with pickled cabbage as a Chinese cuisine. “It sells very well,” said Ding.

These two unusual types of mooncake soon went viral online. However, most netizens were shocked by the wild imaginations of the mooncake sellers. “These fillings should not be part of mooncake! What next? Bullfrog cooked in dry pot?” a netizen commented.

Mooncakes are regarded as a must-have item during China’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Shaped like a round moon, the pastry symbolizes the happiness of family and friend gatherings during the holiday. Lotus seed paste, sweet bean paste and jujube paste are the most common fillings.