Today is the Mid-autumn Festival. Moon cakes are eaten only once a year around September in the Gregorian calendar. 
Centre courts of shopping malls are converted to ancient Chinese villages with
lanterns in infinite colours to attract and entice us to buy boxes of these delicacies for family or as gifts.
Each cake is sealed in plastic to keep the flavours fresh and packed in sets of
four different flavours in elaborate exquisite boxes, even a hand bag.
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These traditional cakes contain no butter or eggs but lotus paste from dried lotus seeds with
a whole salted duck egg in the centre.
For the uninitiated, I suggest just the plain lotus cake to start with. The salted duck egg in contrast to the sweetness of the cake is an acquired taste.
Here is Jocelyn and friends in Adelaide with their home-made moon cakes.
Starting with coloured dough, square and round moulds, and pattern tops, this group of friends bond together to
give the true message that moon cakes are not just food, but a celebration of togetherness.
These traditions keep a culture alive - that the Hungry Ghost Festival has ended and it is time
to celebrate the abundant autumn harvest with love ones under a bright new moon.
Your moon cakes are so much different than ours. Ours are boring.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
Moon cakes go so well with coffee too!
DeleteHow beautiful - and no doubt delicious.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a wonderful way to celebrate harvest time.
TQ, the cakes are lovely with intricated patterns on the tops from moulds used to make them.
DeleteThis seems like a lovely tradition and I hope it never dies. Makes me wish I knew someone who celebrated in this way.
ReplyDeleteI know mid-autumn festival will live forever. I remember doing the lantern walks with my grandparents, then with my parents and later with my daughter.
DeleteTraditional moon cakes contain no butter or no eggs, mmm ... that's good for my cholesterol level :-) It'a a celebration of togetherness, that's a great message related to the moon cakes. Glad to see that people, who live in many corners of the world, don't lose their tradition. That's important! As you mentioned, it keeps a culture alive.
ReplyDeleteHave a beautiful week ahead of you and enjoy the moon cakes tradition!
Traditions are present to keep all cultures alive and like you said Giorgio, traditions are important. My daughter will carry lanterns with her children and continue this mid-autumn festival.
DeleteThat's really a sweet gesture to gift moon cake on this festival occasion. This reminds our Diwali, where sweets are the main ingredients we share with neighbors and close relatives as part of the celebration. I like the way moon cakes are pack in beautiful bags.
ReplyDeleteI have received beautiful sweets during Diwali. I don't eat sweets much but I cannot resist the golden dripping sugar-soaked jalebi. I buy a large container and keep them in the fridge and then get fat for the next few weeks!
DeleteSuch a beautiful tradition! The moon cakes look divine, too good to eat and with the salted duck egg.......hmm, maybe I'd try something simpler. I do love the handbag package though!
ReplyDeleteSometimes the packaging are more exotic than the cakes. Every shop tries to outdo the other with fancy and exquisite packaging. I have bought the cakes more for the packaging, to keep for storing my many paraphernalia.
DeleteOh so cute moon cakes
ReplyDeleteThey are small, round and cute. But one has to eat them in pieces as they are really rich in flavour.
DeleteOmg, the salted egg filling is my fav ^o^ . Dah lamaaaaa sangat tak makan mooncakes lah :D. Saat masih di Penang, teman saya banyak yg Chinese dan dari mereka saya dapat mooncakes nih. Saat dah balik ke Jakarta, my Chinese customers yang biasanya nak bagi-bagi nih di kantor :D.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised you like the salted egg!! I hope you get to try some next year.
DeleteLooks like mochi
ReplyDeleteYou are correct Rezky, the unbaked snow flake ones really look like large mochis!
ReplyDelete