The Mid-Autumn Festival is not only a special day for children to play and enjoy themselves but also an important occasion for family members to share love, gather around the table, and parade lanterns. With the goal of creating memorable experiences, igniting creativity in children, and providing an opportunity for families and mooncake enthusiasts to try their hand at making an indispensable dish for the Full Moon festival, AmCollege partnered with TDA – two entities under RT Holdings – to jointly organize the “Bringing the ‘Moon’ Home” Specialized Class Series suitable for all ages.
The mooncake-making class was organized by the American College of Vietnam (AmCollege) in collaboration with the Talent Development Academy (TDA) every Saturday from August 26 to September 23, 2023. The program took place at AmCollege’s headquarters, located at 240 Tran Binh Trong Street, Ward 4, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. The series featured two specialized classes on making sweet mooncakes, “The Days of Yore” and “Moonlight Feast,” as well as a specialized class on making vegetarian mooncakes, “The Peaceful Moon.” The event drew a lot of interest and participation from the School community. The program’s success was demonstrated not only by the creation of delicious and unique mooncakes but also by the joy and connections made during the learning and making process.
To kick off the mooncake-making class for children, Pastry Chef Chung Ngoc Thao introduced traditional mooncakes filled with roast chicken and salted egg yolk, as well as mung bean paste. She also presented the necessary ingredients to create these delicacies. Parents and children were then guided by Chef Thao on how to roast chicken, prepare mung bean paste by using a blender to make the paste smooth, cut Chinese sausage, and mix the fillings. During the mooncake shaping process, the meticulous and skillful hands of the children produced beautiful mooncakes. This made the young participants even more excited as they personally produced their own mooncakes.
In the “Peaceful Moon” specialized class, participants used plant-based ingredients such as red pumpkin, lotus seeds, nut milk, Rhum liquor, tofu, and more to create vegan mung bean and salted egg mooncake fillings with tiramisu-flavored dough.. The highlight of this class was the vegetarian mooncake filling, exclusively developed by Vegan Chef Le Nguyen Bao. Furthermore, all ingredients used during the class were plant-based, free from eggs, animal milk, honey, and industrial seasonings (sweeteners, flavor enhancers), and additives (colorings, artificial flavors) in mooncakes.
The “Bringing the ‘Moon’ Home” Specialized Class Series by AmCollege and TDA successfully created a warm and engaging learning environment, allowing both families and friends to interact, learn, and experience the peaceful Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere together. These activities clearly demonstrated the harmonious blend of traditional flavors and creativity, providing valuable benefits to kitchen enthusiasts.
