Quick answer
What do you eat at the Mid-Autumn Festival?
The centerpiece is the mooncake, filled with lotus seed or red bean paste, often with a salted duck egg yolk in the middle. Tea and roasted chestnuts round out the table.
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is an autumn harvest celebration where families gather under the full moon. The star treat is the mooncake, filled with lotus seed or red bean paste, served alongside tea and roasted chestnuts. Browse the recipes and prepare treats for a family gathering.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a mooncake?
A densely filled pastry with thin skin and a rich lotus seed or red bean center. It's cut into small wedges and shared over tea, symbolizing the full moon and family reunion.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival?
On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, usually September or early October, when the moon shines brightest. Families gather outside, admire the full moon as a symbol of wholeness and reunion, and share round mooncakes.
Can I bake mooncakes at home?
You can — just get a mooncake mold for the pattern and plan for a rest: a day or two after baking, the crust softens and turns tender. For an easier route, try no-bake snowskin mooncakes made with glutinous rice flour.