19 Stunning Mooncake Recipes to Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival
Foodomania
·5-min read
Mooncakes are synonymous with Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival), but really, they're so delicious that we wouldn't be surprised if you choose to make them all the time! Making and sharing mooncakes is one of the main traditions of this festival, and it's a family affair. Mooncakes are usually round in shape, symbolizing completeness and reunion in the Chinese culture. Thus, the sharing of round mooncakes amongst family members during the week of the festival signifies the completeness and unity of families.
Mooncakes, usually made of a rich paste filling surrounded by a thin crust, are traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, while sipping tea and gazing upon the roundest, brightest moon of the year after the big family dinner. In some parts of China, mooncakes are traditionally made and consumed during the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
ADVERTISEMENT
The most commonly known mooncake is the Cantonese-style mooncake, known for it’s golden, thin and soft crust with an intricate pattern. It is usually filled with a lotus paste, which is a sweet paste made with lotus seeds and egg yolks. The crust itself is made with simple flour, honey or golden syrup, baking soda, some oil and water. This combination is sweet, fragrant, slightly salty and delicious.
Where to Buy Mooncakes
Mooncakes are sold at local Chinese bakeries and online at retailers such as eatdomi.com and goldbelly.com, but they are usually only available in the weeks leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Best Mooncake Recipes
There's nothing better than making your own mooncakes at home though! So if you're a fan of mooncakes and want to make your own, we've compiled 19 unique flavor combinations for you to try! The recipes in this roundup take a basic mooncake recipe up a notch with chocolate, strawberry and matcha mooncakes—even a 2-Ingredient Vegan Mooncake.
"I hate those Midwestern 'fruit salads' where half the ingredients are marshmallow fluff or mini marshmallows, jello, whipped cream, etc. I have a high tolerance for American food, but I cannot handle these or even comprehend why and how they exist."
Think Veganuary means giving up bold flavours? Think again. Saiphin Moore, the culinary genius behind Rosa’s Thai, shares three vegan recipes that are as vibrant as they are satisfying
Healthy eating is no longer just a few more salads and a few less sweets. Now you can decrease inflammation by drinking olive oil water, and buy ‘brain food’ in Marks & Spencer. Can they really make a difference, asks Giulia Crouch?