Ah, the light of the full moon. Romantic, evening strolls. A cool, autumn breeze. A luscious bite into a … yam paste egg yolk pork nut cake?

On the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in China, as well as in other parts of Asia, and no holiday is complete without some giving and partaking of this interesting little pastry, the Mooncake.

The mercurial Mooncake has evolved over the years, and now even the pickiest palettes should be able to find something to bite into. 

History

There are numerous legends connected with the Mid-Autumn festival; one tells of the Princess on the Moon, a young woman who takes an elixir of immortality and floats away to the moon, where she resides, lonely, to this day.

Another tells of the Jade Hare, who offered himself as a meal to three sages who had disguised themselves as beggars. The sages were so touched by the Hare’s gesture that they granted him residence on the moon.

Yet another is about an impatient man, who wanted to become immortal but didn’t want to take the time or energy to learn and study from the Immortals. Fed up with his impatience, the Master Immortal banished him to the moon and put him to work chopping a magical Cassia tree; though he chopped and chopped, the tree always grew back. He continues chopping to this day, hoping he will be able to return again to Earth.

Yue-Lao, otherwise known as The Man on the Moon, is responsible for creating all heavenly love unions; from his cosmic viewpoint, he uses a red, invisible thread to connect people. Later in life, these people will be drawn together by the cord and will remain so.

Mooncake Etiquette

To Give or Not to Give? Each year, mooncake sales generate millions upon millions of RMB – so who is buying and who is giving? Families and close friends, of course, exchange boxes. However, an expensive box of mooncakes is also a great way to get in good with anyone with whom you might want to establish better connections. Bosses, teachers, valued business associates, the visa officers – a little moonlighting could lead to some major payoffs. Stick with the well-known brands and don’t be cheap. Packaging is important, too, so choose something in a nicely decorated box or tin. You’d be surprised how long the mooncake memories can last.

To Cut or Not to Cut? Mooncakes are meant to be cut in into wedges, usually quartered, and shared among a group. Gnawing into one all by your lonesome is chewing past the point: it is a time of togetherness to be spent admiring the moon at its brightest. Mooncakes are taken with tea; usually green, to play down the richness of the cake.

So, where do I buy? In old Canton, the well-established reign supreme when it comes to most purchases. Older restaurants like Tao Tao Ju and Guangzhou Restaurant are two places to head if you are new to mooncake purchasing and want to stay on the safe side. 

Message in a …Mooncake?

In 14th century China, the oldest mooncakes were supposedly stuffed with secret messages as communication devices to help stage a Han uprising against the Mongols. Rebels handed out mooncakes to villagers, who, upon cutting them open, learned of the coup to drive out the Mongols. Perhaps this was the inspiration for the westernised version of the fortune cookie?

Original Recipes

Traditional types of moon cakes, with dough usually consisting of wheat flour, oil or lard, sugar and maltose, include pasty fillings like yam, lotus, red bean and durian. Other kinds are stuffed with finely grinded nuts, pork and pieces of fruit. The interior and exterior are fashioned to represent the moon, hence the salty duck egg yolk center found in the middle. The designs imprinted on the top of mooncakes can be associations with old legends, indications of the fillings inside, the name of the bakery or characters meaning things such as ‘long life’ or ‘harmony.’

Mooncakes go Mod

Nowadays, mooncakes have undergone some major makeovers with regards to crusts, shapes, cooking methods and fillings. Some high-class hotels offer assortments of cakes in flavours like Champagne, mocha and cognac truffle. Companies like Starbucks and Haagan Dazs have also created their own custom cakes chock-a-clock with mango sorbets, Belgian chocolate, and ice cream. Fudge, cheesecake and praline options have also been spotted on the street. The outsides of mooncakes have changed, with gelatinous rice, daintily-thin pastries and ice cream tops that require no baking. Sommeliers pair different wines with different mooncakes, and wine-mooncake gift baskets.