Decorated Cakes

The eighth Chinese mid-lunar moon marks the Moon's birthday and is believed to be the only night of the year when the moon seems perfectly round. At the time of the Moon pageant, special moon-viewing parties are held with much wine and feasting, and poems composed to the moon. Moon cakes are usually packaged in boxes of four cakes and are a conventional gift from one family to another.

The reason why moon cakes are thus meaningful goes back to the 14th century when China was overrun by the Mongol invaders who dominated the country in a cruel and oppressive fashion. the women of the households devised an original way to organize an uprising. They inserted messages in the filling of the moon cakes given and received during the Moon pageant, conveying secret directions to patriots who could be depended on to affix in the struggle that ended in war and liberation.

Moon cakes don't seem to be easy to make, as special, elaborately carved wooden mounds have to be used to form them. Most Westerners realize the filling made up of solid lotus seed paste unpalatable, particularly with the salted egg yolk in its centre. If possible, attempt to realize moon cakes with a filling of preserved melon and melon seeds. For anyone with a sweet tooth this can be irresistible, particularly when cut into skinny wedges and nibbled while drinking clear, fragrant Chinese tea.