Dychauco: Chinese Mooncake Festival (Mid-Autumn Harvest Moon)

By Ed Dychauco
Pots and Pans
Monday, September 24, 2007

WHAT is Moon Cake festival? On the 15th day of the eight month of the lunar calendar, the moon is said to be at its maximum brightness and Chinese all over the world celebrates "zhong qiu jie" or Moon Cake festival, sometime also known as Mid-Autumn Festival. This year, the Moon Cake festival falls on September 25, tomorrow. This is the 2nd most popular traditional holiday among the Chinese, after New Year.

There are many legends surrounding the Moon cake festival. One very famous ancient story goes like this...Children are usually told of a story about a moon fairy staying in a crystal palace who would come out to dance on the moon's shadowed surface. (Hence, one can see pictures of pretty Chinese ladies in moon cake boxes or tins). The ancient legend is about this lady living in the moon when there are 10 suns appearing all at once in the sky. The Chinese Emperor then ordered a famous great archer to shoot down the nine extra suns. When the task was done, the Goddess of the Western Heaven gave the archer a pill that would make him immortal as a reward. However, the archer's wife found and took the pill and was banished to the moon. More ever, the legend says that this lady's beauty is greatest on the Moon cake festival.

However, there is another very famous legend about the Moon festival which is about Chinese history. During the 13th century, the Chinese were overrun by the Mongols but were thrown off in 1368 AD. Mongols don't eat moon cakes, so they were the perfect item for hiding and passing the plan for rebellion. Families ate the moon cakes on the day the rebellion took place.

Another legend says that the moon cakes were used to hide secret messages and were passed to the families and the rebellion took place on the Moon festival. Fast forward to today, Chinese people in the Philippines celebrate Mid-Autumn festival with Lion dances, feasting, moon gazing and moon cakes, of course!

Traditionally, in our family and most of the Chinese families, Chinese associations and the like, celebrates Moon cake festival either on that specific day or within those days with a game. Starting with 1 major prize (the biggest Moon cake or Hopia as we fondly call them), 2-2nd prizes, 4-3rd prizes, 8-4th prizes, 16-5th prizes and 32-6th prizes (the smallest hopia).

Sometimes, the hopia is changed to more practical items like canned goods, novelty items, etc. with the 1st prize being the most expensive item. The game is played with six dices. Whoever gets to win the top prize is said to have good luck the whole year.

Many kinds of Moon cakes are now available in Chinese bakeshops which are usually given away to close friends and families, ranging from the ordinary and affordable mongo-filled Moon cakes to expensive high-end lotus seed paste, red bean paste and black bean paste, they are also filled with watermelon seeds, a salted egg-yolk (representing the moon), dates, fruits, nuts, sesame seeds and many, many others. Approximately 3" in diameter and 1-11/2" thick, these modern Moon cakes are quite filling. They are usually cut into 4 pieces, or in quarters and shared around. Some even have 4 egg yolks, representing the 4 phases of the moon. Mind you, these are not for the weight-conscious people because they are very high in calories!

Incidentally, the Misamis Oriental Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MOFCCI) just had the annual "game" last September 21, 2007 at the Grand Caprice Restaurant.

Below is a basic Moon Cake recipe ***
9 ounces lotus seed paste 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts Dough 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup non-fat dried milk powder 1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder 1/8 tsp salt 2 pcs eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup shortening, melted & cooled 1 pc egg yolk, lightly beaten Procedure: 1. Mix lotus seed paste and walnuts together in a bowl; set aside. 2. Sift flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt together. Beat eggs on medium speed until light and lemon colored. Add sugar; beat for 10 minutes. Add melted shortening; mix lightly. Fold in flour mixture. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board; knead until smooth and satiny. Divide dough in half; roll each half into a log. Cut each log into 6 equal pieces. 3. Roll a piece of dough into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured board to make a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Place a tablespoon of paste mixture in center of dough. Fold in sides of dough to completely enclose filling; press edges to seal. Lightly flour inside of moon cake press with 2-1/2 inch diameter cups. Place moon cake in mold; flatten dough. Bang one end of mold lightly on work surface to remove moon cake. Place cake on ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops with egg yolk. 4. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/cag/2007/09/24/life/dychauco.chinese.mooncake.festival.(mid.autumn.harvest.moon).html)