Mid-Autumn Vibes｜One mooncake, a taste of Chaoshan that travels the world

Huang Chufa lives in the Philippines along with some other locals from Chaozhou. On this visit, he's asked his friend Li Weiliang to make some laobing to bring some back with him for the mid-autumn festival. After speaking with Huang, Li heads to the nearest market to buy some fatty pork to make lard. Around the festival, he can go through over 500 kilograms each day. After marrying his wife Fan Yinqiao at the age of 25, he quit his job to learn how to make laobing. And although he was a latecomer to the craft, 15 years later, he considers himself an expert. Lard contains various fatty acids, making it highly nutritious while providing lots of energy. But for the Chaozhou people, it's the unique aroma and taste that makes it such an irreplaceable ingredient. It's even said among locals that lard also counteracts the effects that comes from getting tea drunk, the effects of drinking too much Chaozhou Kung Fu tea. Yet the key to making perfect flaky pastries lies in creating distinctly layered crusts. The dough for the crust is made by mixing water, lard, and flour, while the flaky layer is prepared without water. The two types of dough are wrapped together and kneaded into distinct layers using a traditional technique in Chinese pastry making. It may look fairly straightforward, but that's because Li makes it look easy, when in fact each roll and fold is carried out with immaculate precision. After repeating the process several times, the pastries are placed in the oven and a ladle of lard is poured over top. After being baked for 25 minutes on each side, the pastries turn flaky in the sizzling lard. All it takes is the lightest touch from one's tongue to make them crumble and melt in your mouth.