What is the Mid-Autumn Festival?
The origin story of the Mid-Autumn Festival has various versions, but the most well-known one is the legend of Hou Yi and Chang'e. According to legend, in ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky at the same time, causing great distress to the people. In order to eliminate this calamity, Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns with his bow and arrow and was rewarded with the elixir of immortality. However, Hou Yi's disciple attempted to steal the elixir, and in a moment of crisis, his wife, Chang'e, swallowed the elixir. Immediately, she became light as a feather and flew up to the moon.
When people learned about Chang'e ascending to the moon and becoming an immortal, they began to pray under the moon to the benevolent Chang'e for auspiciousness and peace. From then on, Chang'e became the Moon Goddess and resided in the heavens with the Jade Rabbit. Thus, the custom of worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people. Even to this day, people still try to spot the images of Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit in the full moon while appreciating it.
The Story Behind Mooncakes
According to legend, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, wanted to overthrow Mongol rule and sought the advice of Liu Bowen, his top strategist. They devised a plan to spread rumors of a plague and encouraged people to buy mooncakes to avoid the spread of the disease. When people cut the mooncake, they would find hidden messages inside it that read "Uprising on the night of the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month." This allowed the resistance forces to gather and eventually succeed in overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty. It is from this story that the custom of eating mooncakes on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, gradually emerged.
Over time, the association between mooncakes and the full moon became stronger. They have become a significant symbol of family reunion and blessings during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Every year, people gather, share mooncakes, and admire the bright moon, symbolizing family togetherness and prayers for good fortune. Mooncakes have also become a traditional gift during the Mid-Autumn Festival, with people exchanging them as a way to express blessings and sentiments.
Types of Mooncakes
Mooncakes come in many forms, each reflecting different regional traditions and tastes. The most well-known type is the traditional baked mooncake, often filled with sweet lotus seed paste and one or two salted egg yolks. The yolk represents the full moon and is a symbol of family reunion, a rich, savory contrast to the smooth, mellow lotus paste that surrounds it.
Another classic is the red bean paste mooncake, with a soft, earthy sweetness that has been enjoyed for generations. There's also the mixed nuts mooncake, a more rustic variety filled with chopped nuts and seeds, sometimes polarizing, but deeply rooted in tradition.
In recent years, modern versions have emerged. One of the most popular is the lava custard mooncake, inspired by the flowing centers of molten lava buns. These are smaller, often best enjoyed warm, with a creamy salted egg custard that oozes from the center.