Cuisine on the Moon
Outline
Did you know there are rabbits on the moon? Did you know they make delicious mooncakes?
9 Facts About Chinese Mooncakes: History, Culture, Legends
One of the most beloved traditional pastries in East and Southeast Asia, mooncakes are synonymous with the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, a holiday that falls on the full moon, i.e., the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. (In the Gregorian calendar, the date is typically in late September or early October.)
Learn more about moon rabbit (actually Chinese) culture by reading about these tasty treats!
A mooncake (simplified Chinese: 月饼; traditional Chinese: 月餅) is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節). The festival is about lunar appreciation and Moon watching, and mooncakes are regarded as a delicacy. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is widely regarded as one of the four most important Chinese festivals.
There are numerous varieties of mooncakes consumed within China and outside of China in overseas Chinese communities. The Cantonese mooncake is the most famous variety. A typical Cantonese mooncake is a round pastry, measuring about 10 cm (4 in) in diameter and 3–4 cm (1+1⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) thick. The Cantonese mooncake consists of a rich thick filling usually made from red bean paste or lotus seed paste is surrounded by a thin, 2–3 mm (approximately 1/8th of an inch) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs.
Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by tea. Today, it is customary for business people and families to present them to their clients or relatives as presents, helping to fuel a demand for high-end mooncakes.
Just as how the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in various Asian localities due to the presence of Chinese communities throughout the region, mooncakes are enjoyed in other parts of Asia too. Mooncakes have also appeared in western countries as a form of delicacy.
