Kee Wah vs Wing Wah - Battle of the Wife Cakes

Ding...Ding.....Ding....it's the Battle of the Wife Cakes.....(not wives, ya...lol)!  Wife Cake, or otherwise known as lo por paeng, is a traditional Chinese pastry with a flaky and thin crust and a filling made with candied winter melon, almond paste and white sesame.

I was first introduced to this wife cake when my previous boss brought them back from his business trips to Hong Kong (rather regularly, I might add) for all his staff.  I thought they were very good then until my neighbour's son got me the ones from Kee Wah Bakery that tasted even better.

So, during a recent trip by a family member to Hong Kong, I asked if she could buy me some Kee Wah's Wife Cakes.  She not only got me a box of Kee Wah's wife cakes but she also got me the other famous brand, Wing Wah's Wife Cakes, as well to try.  Now that I can eat them side by side, let's see which I liked better.

First difference I noticed of Kee Wah's wife cakes was that the packaging has changed.  Previously, you'd find 8 pcs of wife cakes in a box (not individually wrapped but separated by a piece of waxed paper) but now each piece of wife cake is indivdually wrapped (and there's only 6 pcs in a box).  Kee Wah's wife cakes have a very short shelf life, they're good for about a week only (my sister-in-law bought her stock on a Friday and it was good until the next Friday only).

Wing Wah's wife cakes, on the other hand, has a much longer expiry date which is about a month from date of purchase.  They too are individually wrapped with six in a box.  For those of you who want to know the origins of this wife cake, you'll find the story inscribed inside the colourful box packaging of Wing Wah (although you'll also find different versions of the story online).  Legend has it that back in feudal China, a daughter-in-law offered herself for sale in return for money to cure her ill-health father-in-law.  In a desperate attempt to redeem his spouse, the husband created a gourmet cake for sale in the bazaar.  His product did pay off with the proceeds saved.  The couple was able to get together again and lived happily ever after.  His recipe then spread from place to place, winning the name "Wife Cake".

Visually, you can tell them apart easily as Kee Wah's wife cakes are much bigger and they have a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top.  With such short expiry dates, I usually store them in the fridge so that I have more time to finish them.  I would reheat them before eating by toasting them in the toaster oven for a few minutes.  I find that Kee Wah's wife cakes become even more fragrant after toasting.

I love that their filling of sweetened winter paste isn't too sweet.  The pastry was nicely flaky but thought it was slightly thicker now than it was before.  Taste wise, although still good, I thought they weren't as good as before (and by that I mean they didn't bowl me over like before).  I wonder if it's because they used to reach us in a fresher state than now.

Previously you won't find them individually wrapped with a tiny silica gel or oxgen absorber packet to keep the food fresh longer which indicates that they could have been made for sale more in advance.  Maybe that has affected the taste...I don't know, though still pleasurable, it didn't give me as much pleasure as it once did.

In comparison, Wing Wah's wife cakes are smaller but the crust is also a little thinner than Kee Wah's.

The winter melon paste seemed a little thicker and just a wee bit sweeter than Kee Wah's but I felt it wasn't as tasty.

Wing Wah's wife cakes are also similarly individually wrapped with silica gel to prolong freshness.  As I'm trying this for the first time, I do not know how they were packaged before.

And then you have the locally made ones that can't hold a candle to the ones from Hong Kong in terms of taste and texture.  I've tasted quite a few and all of them came up short.

So, in the Kee Wah vs Wing Wah Battle of the Wife Cakes.....the winner (for me) is Kee Wah.  I still prefer the taste of Kee Wah's wife cakes over Wing Wah's as I thought the winter melon filling of Kee Wah's tasted better.  Not only that but the addition of sesame seeds in Kee Wah's version made the pastry that much more fragrant. ^o^

I'm sure we all have our own preference and both brands (Wing Wah since 1950 and Kee Wah since 1938) are long established brands and Singapore now seems to be the nearest route where we can get our hands on their baked goods.  However, I read somewhere that Kee Wah's wife cakes are not available for sale there while Wing Wah's wife cakes are available only periodically (unconfirmed).  So, if you love to eat this lightly sweet flaky pastry, be sure to cart some home when you next visit Hong Kong.  Wing Wah best describes it.....a Chinese delicacy with a timeless flavour! ^_~