仲秋节Mid-AutumnFestivalthe15thdayofthe8thlunarmonthMooncakesaretoMid-AutumnFestivalwhatmincepiesaretoChristmas.Theseasonalroundcakestraditionallyhaveasweetfillingoflotusseedpasteorredbeanpasteandoftenhaveoneormoresaltedduckeggsinthecentertorepresentthemoon.Andthemooniswhatthiscelebrationisallabout.Mid-AutumnFestivalfallsonthe15thdayofthe8thlunarmonth,itisthetimewhenthemoonissaidtobeatitsbrightestandfullest.Therearetwolegendswhichclaimtoexplainthetraditionofeatingmooncakes.OneTangDynastymythholdsthattheEarthoncehad10sunscirclingit.Onedayall10sunsappearedatonce,scorchingtheplanetwiththeirheat.ItwasthankstoaskillfularchernamedHouYithattheEarthwassaved.Heshotdownallbutoneofthesuns.Ashisreward,theHeavenlyQueenMothergaveHouYitheElixirofImmortality,butshewarnedhimthathemustuseitwisely.HouYiignoredheradviceand,corruptedbyfameandfortune,becameatyrannicalleader.Chang-Er,hisbeautifulwife,couldnolongerstandbyandwatchhimabusehispowersoshestolehisElixirandfledtothemoontoescapehisangrywrath.Andthusbeganthelegendofthebeautifulwomaninthemoon,theMoonFairy.ThesecondlegendhasitthatduringtheYuanDynasty,anundergroundgroupledbyZhuYuanZangwasdeterminedtoridthecountryofMongoliandominance.Themooncakewascreatedtocarryasecretmessage.Whenthecakewasopenedandthemessageread,anuprisingwasunleashedwhichsuccessfullyroutedtheMongolians.Ithappenedatthetimeofthefullmoon,which,somesay,explainswhymooncakesareeatenatthistime.MooncakesareusuallystampedwithChinesecharactersindicatingthenameofthebakeryandthetypeoffillingused.Somebakerieswillevenstampthemwithyourfamilynamesothatyoucangivepersonalisedonestofriendsandfamily.Theyareusuallypresentedinboxesoffourwhichindicatethefourphasesofthemoon.Traditionalmooncakesaremadewithmeltedlard,buttodayvegetableoilismoreoftenusedintheinterestsofhealth.Mooncakesarenotforthediet-consciousastheyareloadedwithcalories.ThebestwaytowashdownoneofthesestickycakesiswithacupofChinesetea,especiallyJasmineorChrysanthemumtea,whichaidsthedigestion.
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