25th September, 2007 is the 15th day of the Eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. The Chinese lunar calendar follows the movements of the moon and is therefore different from the Gregorian calendar.
The 15th day of the Eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar is the day of the Mid Autumn festival. It is also known as the Mooncake festival or the Lantern festival. The 15th day is a full moon night and that is when the Chinese celebratesthe festival and appreciates the moon. That is also the time when the Chinese consume mooncakes, which are not available at other times of the year although if you want you can make it any time yourself. The Chinese restaurants and bakers start making the mooncakes for sale at least two months before the festival date. Most Chinese restaurants and bakers now pack the mooncakes in delightful boxes and packages.
A Box of Mooncakes
Another box of mooncakes from a different restaurant
Mooncakes in their packging
Mooncake
I am not expert at making mooncakes. Just for general information the outer layer called the skin is traditionally made from flour, sugar, golden syrup, alkaline water and peanut or vegetable oil. Inside is a filling which can be of any ingredients. Traditionally it is lotus paste which is from lotus seeds which have been cooked, strained and blended until it is a paste which is then further stir fried with sugar and maltose until it is a thick paste. Sometimes in the centre of the mooncake is a salted duck egg yolk. The mooncake filling used to be very sweet but times have changed.
Mooncake and lotus paste with a single yolk
So on the night of the festival, we would celebrate by putting out colourful lanterns with candles inside the lanterns to brightly decorate our houses and the children would parade round the neighbourhood carrying their lanterns accompanied by the adults singing songs appropriately in praise of the moon. It is a time of happiness and joy also because it is the middle of autumn.
In my house are the mooncakes and other snacks such as the Menglembu groundnuts accompanied by tea and other drinks. So we celebrate and we appreciate the moon.
Not forgetting the legends which are part and parcel of the festival. The lady Chang Er in the moon. The messages inside the moncakes as a signal against the Mongols.
Back in my hometown, I ordered something extra to enjoy the Mooncake festial. A marble butter icing cake. One of the memories of my hometown.
The Cake
Enjoying the Cake
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