There's no better night to moon gaze than Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls this year on Sept. 22 (the 15th day of the eighth lunar month). And while the holiday festivities are welcomed by everyone, many have mixed feelings about the pastries that come with the season: mooncakes.
The sweet treat has often been described as a 'Chinese fruitcake' due to its dense texture and the stigma of being old-fashioned. In its traditional incarnation, the mooncake comes with a filling of lotus-seed paste and a whole salted duck-egg yolk -- all wrapped within a thin layer of dough. The package is then pressed into a mold, which leaves a decorative imprint on the top, and baked in the oven.
Mooncakes are so pivotal to the Mid-Autumn Festival that in one popular myth it was the pastry that started it all. Legend has it that mooncakes were stuffed with secret notes and passed out to Han Chinese rebels in order to organize a revolt against the Mongols. The secret-laden cakes were delivered on the 15th day of the eighth month, which became the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. A second, more romantic tale tells the story of Chang E, China's 'Lady on the Moon,' who stole the pill of immortality from her husband and floated into the sky, eventually residing on the moon.
These days, mooncakes are less about folklore and more about business. With versions made in chocolate, ice cream and 'snow skin' (rice flour is used for the dough instead of regular flour), retailers throughout Asia hope they have something for everyone.