Dragonfruit Mooncake

This I review the final flavour of the boxes of Yong Sheng mooncakes. I had earlier posted an image of the two boxes and posted on the following flavours: Coconut Gula Melaka, Yam Red Date, Rose Red Bean, Pineapple Lava, Black Sesame with Mung Bean and Sugar-Free Chestnut Lotus with Black Sesame flavours. (The gula melaka flavour was repeated.)

Today's flavour is officially called Fire Rose Mooncake. Visually it is extremely apt as you can see for yourself - the mooncake is shaped as a rose, and the red jelly-like core does indeed look fiery. So what is it exactly? Turns out it is dragonfruit mooncake! First that I have ever seen in the market, at least in Singapore, even after having gone regularly to large mooncake fairs such as that in Ngee Ann City.

If you have eaten dragonfruit, you would know that there are a few main varieties - white, deep purple (like the colour of raw beets) and golden yellow. The golden yellow ones tend to come from South America based on what I know from fruit stall owners, and they can cost quite a lot of money, around S$12-18 per small piece. But there is an advantage to the golden variety - they are quite sweet, not unlike the golden kiwi fruits. The white and beet-coloured ones tend not to be as sweet, often being quite tasteless except for a vague earthy, almost muddy fragrance that might come from the seeds. Those white and beet ones that are on the sweeter spectrum might have the sweetness of an average apple or tomato even, and have a tinge of sourness.

This mooncake, however, tasted more like some kind of hibiscus or berry tea that is more sweet with very faint tartness at the edges. The paste was lotus-based, judging from the ingredients list. The lotus paste was probably coloured pink and flavoured with some fruit-based fragrance. I did see dragonfruit (5.9%) and wintermelon strips in the ingredients, but based on how the jelly core looked, I assume that's where those went. 

The jelly-like core is best described as dragonfruit jam perhaps. However, the dragonfruit flavour manifested as, to be honest, a somewhat mouldy taste. Remember that fresh and less sweet dragonfruits have an earthy or muddy flavour? This felt like that taken to the extreme. I did wonder if there was mould, but on visual inspection, saw nothing that warranted that suspicion. So I think it could just be the execution of the dragonfruit flavour? Honestly, I have not tried any other processed dragonfruit product before, so I have nothing to compare this with.

Overall, my verdict would be that it's a wonderful visual experience, delightful lotus paste for tasting like some fruit tea, but unfortunately for me ruined by the mouldy taste in the jelly core. I wonder if it just doesn't go well with my taste buds, the same way some people's taste buds perceive durians or natto like filthy rags. But I would give 10/10 points for innovative effort!

Found this mooncake interesting? Check out other unusual mooncakes here! Also, if you don't live in tropical countries such as Southeast Asia, dragonfruit, let alone dragonfruit mooncake, might be highly unusual to you. If you found this interesting, you can explore more exceptionally unusual food and drinks here!