Mid-autumn Festival is most commonly associated with moon cakes, but in Shiqi town in Panyu district, they play second fiddle to the piglet-shaped pastries sold at Mazi Bakery.

Piglet-shaped pastries are a popular Mid-autumn Festival snack in Shiqi town of Panyu district, Guangzhou. [Photo/visitgz.com]

The bakery is run by a 66-year-old Huang who has been making pastries for more than 30 years. His piglet-shaped pastries require nine procedures before being baked to perfection, including making the fillings and kneading and proving the dough.

"Each step is key to providing customers with the most authentic and traditional texture of Cantonese-flavored piglet-shaped pastries," says Huang.

The piglet-shaped pastries that used to be sold in downtown Guangzhou don't have any fillings, but Huang has explored new ways and methods, adding and creating a new twist to the traditional techniques. His fillings include bean and lotus seed paste, and see customers queuing out the door when Mid-autumn Festival nears. 

Huang, owner of Mazi bakery, shows a tray of piglet pastries before popping them in the oven. [Photo/visitgz.com]

The piglet-shaped delicacies are packaged in special bamboo-weaved cages. [Photo/visitgz.com]