Mid-Autumn Festival

 Moon Cakes
Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. From what I understand is Chinese and Vietnamese people celebrate this holiday. At night time we go outside, and look at the moon. There are 2 stories to how this festival came about. I only remember this story by how my family told it to me. I did kinda wiki it to brush up on some facts, so I can try to make this as correct as possible according to my family's story. As far as the folklore version goes it changes from family to family.

 Our family buys these treats around the Mid-Autumn Festival. Although there are some people who make their own. Moon cakes are pretty labor intensive, and hard to create a thin crust(my mom told me that the moon cakes taste better that way?) There are a lot of different kinds: some with meat, or with double yolks inside. I like mostly all of the flavors, but my favorites are the kind with the yolk inside, lotus seed, and Chinese date. The Chinese date is super flavorful! It tastes smokey, rich, sweet, and nothing at all like normal dates. You have to try it to understand!

Chinese Date Moon Cake

Lotus Seed with Pine Nuts Moon Cake

The inside! Left to Right: Date, Lotus Seed Moon Cake

The box! There's red bean, oolong tea, lotus seed, chinese date, date/lotus seed, chestnut, and mung bean.

I just love all the details on the moon cakes! I'm in love with just designs/patterns in general, but I have a soft spot for Asian stuff. First, they wrap a dough around the bean paste. Then they press the dough wrapped pastry into a wooden mold. After that they take it out of the mold and bake it multiple times. It also looks like there is an egg wash on these too. The pastry, to me always tastes a little dry(it's supposed to taste that way?), but it's still soft. It's kinda like a unsweetened, very dense soft cookie...almost like a bread. In Taiwan, there are bakeries that make some modern twists with these moon cakes. Some add mochi inside, use rice flour in the dough, and add chocolate inside.

Below, are the stories that are told to children during the Mid-Autumn Festival!

The Emperor and Chang Eu

A long time ago there were 10 suns on earth. So one day a goddess came to the emperor and asked him to shoot down 9 suns. After the emperor shot down the 9 suns; the goddess gave him 3 magical pills. She told him that he's was only allowed to take one pill. The emperor's wife's name was Chang Eu. She had heard that the emperor was awarded with the magical pills, and stole them from her husband. Chang Eu had always wished to live forever. So, she took all three pills, and wished for an eternal life. All of the sudden Chang Eu started floating higher, and higher until she reached the moon. It is said that there is an outline of her, and a rabbit on the moon.

Notes:

• I think I remember my grandpa telling me that the emperor had to go back each time to the goddess, to ask if it was still too hot!

•  When I went to Chinese School, one of our assignments was to write an essay about...what would we do? if we were awarded with 3 magical pills. I think, I said I wished that there were no homeless people or something like that. So what would you do?

The Mongols and the Chinese

During the Yuan dynasty, a part of China was taken over by the Mongols. During the Mongols reign, they took away metal items, or scrap materials that could be used as weapons. The Chinese were under constant watch. They weren't allowed to communicate with each other, or even write letters to each other. So then one day the villagers baked these pastries called moon cakes. They went around to each house passing them out. But there was something special about these moon cakes. When the villagers opened them up to eat, there was a note inside giving the details on overthrowing the Mongols. The villagers all got together on that day and overthrew the Mongols. The end!

Thanks for reading!!! This post was important to me, as an ABC(American Born Chinese) I want to remember the traditions, and holidays that my ancestors have celebrated. I want to try and  hold on to as much of my heritage as possible. So when it comes my time to be a mom or aunt I will be able to teach them about our history, and to be knowledgeable in general. I enjoy learning about history, different cultures. So please share any special holidays or traditions in your home!

Hugs and Kisses <3
Lulu