Mid-Autumn Festival

Summer is gone and a full moon is coming. That means the Mid-Autumn Festival is here and it’s today. It’s celebrated on the eve prior to the coming of the big, round bright moon which is based on the very confusing Lunar calendar (usually September or October). It’s a time to reap the benefits of your harvest, a joyous time to spend with family and feast on glorious food! One popular treat that is eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival is in this box – but what’s in the box?

Opening  it up, you will find several golden brown pastries that are either round or square with softened corners.

These pastries are called moon cakes. They have a thin outer crust and are crammed with sweet fillings like lotus seeds, nuts, red beans, a duck egg, etc. I find the simpler the filling, the better. It’s slightly flaky and soft on the inside.

My favourite type has lotus seed and one egg yolk. The panda bear one featured here is a custard-like filling featuring egg yolk.

Over the years, they have become more creative with the imprints on top of each moon cake. Traditional ones have Asian prints and designs on them. More recently, they started adding imprints of popular characters and animals.

As you can see, Hello Kitty, Mickey Mouse, etc. are just a few of the cute molds. The Mid-Autumn Festival only happens once a year and so do these moon cakes. Get them while they’re still around!

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