What does the mooncake symbolize?

KATHY CHAN CEPPI: The symbolism of the mooncake, of course, is it’s round like the moon. It symbolizes family and harmony. It’s given as a gift.

What is the story behind mooncakes?

The fable of Moon Goddess Chang’e is an integral one during the Chinese Moon Festival. It is the tale of an ancient hero Hou Yi—a heroic archer—who shoots down nine of ten suns during a disastrous year when ten suns arose at once (and you thought this summer was sweltering).

What is written on mooncakes?

The top is often embossed with elaborate designs which can include floral patterns, Chinese written characters representing “mid-autumn mooncake” (中秋月饼), or the name of the bakery where they’re made.

What are mooncakes used for?

A traditional mooncake. Mooncakes are usually eaten after dinner while admiring the moon, but the festival is also celebrated by the Chinese in other ways. People decorate their streets, homes, and businesses with lanterns, traditionally handmade with paper, though bulb-lit ones are popular these days.

Are mooncakes good luck?

The mooncakes are the sweet and round delicacies associated with the feast: thought to bring good luck and prosperity, they are usually given as a present to their loved ones and served with tea. They are made of a thin crust with a lotus seed or red bean stuffing and they often have a salted duck egg center.

Are mooncakes healthy?

“Mooncakes are typically considered as unhealthy because of the high calorie, sugar and fat content,” she said. The fats in nuts are of unsaturated type, a better type of fat than saturated fat. Mooncakes with salted egg yolk contain more sodium.

How many types of mooncakes are there?

In China, traditional mooncakes are classified into 4 types depending on the origin, sales volume and features: Cantonese-style, Beijing-style, Suzhou-style, and Chaoshan-style.

Why do we eat moon cake on Mooncake Festival?

The cake is made round also because Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunion and “round” has a similar pronunciation with “reunion” in Chinese. Why do we eat mooncakes on Mooncake Festival?

What’s the best way to make a mooncake?

Molding and baking Shaping the mooncake. Roll the mooncake in a bowl filled with some flour. Shake off the excess flour. This step is to… Bake the mooncake. Bake it at the middle rack, 175°C/350°F top and bottom temperature for five to six minutes or until… Resting. Remove the cake from the oven …

What’s the best kind of mooncake to eat?

Mooncakes are far too dense and greasy for my liking. That’s one of the many reasons why I set out to find the best non-mooncake mooncakes. And boy, do I wish these were available during my childhood! 1. Snow Skin Mooncake One of the most popular varieties in recent times, snow skin mooncakes are a no-bake mooncake and are refrigerated instead.

What do people eat on Chinese moon cake day?

On the festival day, all families eat mooncakes, or more traditionally, share one to celebrate the family reunion.

Why are moon cakes so expensive?

Mooncakes are expensive (and they are), not because they are expensive to make. Flour, beans, sugar — these are cheap ingredients. They are expensive because they are culturally-desired during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The culture expects people to buy them and give them as gifts, so people,…

What are the ingredients in moon cakes?

The moon cakes were made with bean flour dough filled with a variety of ingredients, including sesame, peanuts, sunflower seeds and raisins. High-calorie ingredients such as sugar and eggs were also added to the moon cakes to protect primates from the cold.

What types of moon cakes are there?

Types and Features. Traditionally, moon cakes are divided into four types: Guangdong-style, Suzhou-style, Beijing-style and Yunnan-style, and the fillings are usually five kernels, lotus seed paste, sweet bean paste, jujube paste, and egg yolk.

How do you make mooncakes?

How to make mooncakes Pour rice flour into a large flat metal receptacle. Make a well in the centre and add icing sugar. Add shortening and rub until combined. Add blue pea liquid. Using one hand, mix the liquid in with the dry ingredients until combined. Get a ball of lotus seed paste and push a hole in the centre.