Shanghai Pork Mooncakes : Why Foreigners Queue 40 Minutes

Ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival, foreigners are joining 40-minute queues at Shanghai's time-honored pastry shops on Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road for fresh pork mooncakes, a savory flaky snack best eaten hot.

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Shanghai Pork Mooncakes : Why Foreigners Queue 40 Minutes

Foreigners Join 40-Minute Queue for Shanghai’s Pork Mooncakes—Here’s Why

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, long lines are once again forming outside Shanghai’s time-honored pastry shops on Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road.

But this year, the queues are not made up only of local residents. Reporters have also spotted a growing number of international customers waiting to try one of the city’s best-known snacks: fresh pork mooncakes.

Shanghai Pork Mooncakes : Why Foreigners Queue 40 Minutes

Unlike the sweet mooncakes commonly eaten elsewhere in China, Shanghai-style pork mooncakes have a flaky pastry shell filled with savory pork and are best enjoyed piping hot.

Shanghai Pork Mooncakes : Why Foreigners Queue 40 Minutes

“It Was Worth the 40-Minute Wait”

Outside Zhen Lao Da Fang, a time-honored shop on Nanjing Road, a reporter asked several foreign customers why they were willing to stand in such a long line.

Shanghai Pork Mooncakes : Why Foreigners Queue 40 Minutes

A woman from Belarus said she had heard that pork mooncakes were a Shanghai specialty and wanted to try them.

“I heard this is a special Shanghai snack and thought it sounded delicious, so I joined the queue,” she said. “I waited for 40 minutes, but I think it was worth it.”

Her food instincts, it seems, did not let her down.

Shanghai Pork Mooncakes : Why Foreigners Queue 40 Minutes

“My Wife Said They Were Good”

A man who described himself as British-French had another reason for waiting: his wife sent him.

“My wife said this shop was good, so I came to queue and buy some for her,” he said after also waiting for around 40 minutes.

Shanghai Pork Mooncakes : Why Foreigners Queue 40 Minutes
Shanghai Pork Mooncakes : Why Foreigners Queue 40 Minutes

“You can’t get this in Paris or London. It’s something you can only find in Shanghai, and it tastes really good when it’s hot.”

Apparently, queuing to bring home something delicious for your partner is a universal experience.

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They Didn’t Even Know What the Line Was For

The most unexpected answer came from a Korean couple.

They admitted that they had never tried fresh pork mooncakes—and did not even know what everyone was waiting to buy.

Shanghai Pork Mooncakes : Why Foreigners Queue 40 Minutes

“We saw so many people lining up, so we wanted to join and see,” they said.

Following a crowd may sometimes lead you to excellent food. Just make sure you know what the queue is for before committing 40 minutes.

Have you tried Shanghai’s fresh pork mooncakes? How long would you be willing to wait for a hot one?

Source: 上海黄浦

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Shanghai Pork Mooncakes : Why Foreigners Queue 40 Minutes

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