The traditional food of the Mid-Autumn Festival is moon cakes. Moon cakes are round, symbolizing reunion and reflecting people's good wishes for reunion with their families. It is said that eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the vast number of people in the Central Plains could not bear the cruel rule of the Yuan Dynasty's ruling class, and they revolted against the Yuan Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang united various resistance forces to prepare for the uprising. However, the officers and soldiers of the court conducted a very strict search, making it very difficult to convey the news. Military counselor Liu Bowen came up with a plan and ordered his subordinates to hide the note with "uprising on August 15th" in the cakes, and then sent people to deliver it to the insurrectionary armies in various places, informing them to respond to the uprising on the night of August 15th. . On the day of the uprising, all rebel armies responded together, and the insurrectionary army was like a spark igniting a prairie fire.

Soon, Xu Da captured Yuan Dadu and the uprising was successful. When the news came, Zhu Yuanzhang was so happy that he quickly handed down an oral order to let all the soldiers and the people enjoy the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, and to reward the ministers with the "mooncakes" that were used to secretly convey the message when the army was launched as seasonal cakes. Since then, the production of "mooncakes" has become more and more sophisticated, with more varieties, and the large ones are as big as discs, which have become a good gift. From then on, the custom of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people. Many special Mid-Autumn Festival customs have also been formed in some places. In addition to appreciating the moon, offering sacrifices to the moon, and eating moon cakes, there are also fire dragon dances in Hong Kong, pagodas in Anhui, tree Mid-Autumn Festival in Guangzhou, burning pagodas in Jinjiang, watching the moon at Shihu Lake in Suzhou, moon worship by the Dai people, and moon dancing by the Miao people. , Dong people’s moon-stealing vegetables, Gaoshan people’s ball dance, etc. The English spelling is: mooncake.

Later, Zhu Yuanzhang finally overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and became the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Although the Manchu Qing Dynasty later occupied China, people still celebrated this festival that symbolized the overthrow of alien rule.

Related records

According to legend, in ancient my country, emperors had a ritual system of worshiping the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. Among the people, during the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, there is also the custom of worshiping or offering sacrifices to the moon. "The moon is full on August and fifteenth, and the Mid-Autumn moon cakes are fragrant and sweet." This famous proverb describes the custom of urban and rural people eating moon cakes on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mooncakes were originally used as sacrifices to worship the moon god. Later, people gradually took the Mid-Autumn moon appreciation and tasting mooncakes as a symbol of family reunion, and gradually mooncakes became festival gifts.

Moon cakes originally originated from the Tang Dynasty army’s food to celebrate victory. During the reign of Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, General Li Jing conquered the Huns and returned in triumph on August 15th.

At that time, some Turpan people doing business presented cakes to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty to celebrate his victory. The great ancestor Li Yuan took the gorgeous cake box, took out the round cake, pointed at the bright moon in the sky with a smile and said: "You should invite the toad with the Hu cake." After speaking, he distributed the cake to the ministers to eat together.

The word "mooncake" has been found in the book "Old Martial Arts" of the Southern Song Dynasty. It can be seen from the book that mooncakes at that time were steamed. This steamed noodle cake is a must-eat during the Mid-Autumn Festival and is still a popular custom in Shandong, Henan and other places.

The word "mooncake" already exists in Wu Zimu's "Mengliang Lu" of the Southern Song Dynasty, but the description of appreciating the moon and eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival was only recorded in the "West Lake Tour Zhihui" of the Ming Dynasty: "The 15th day of August is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people send moon cakes to each other to symbolize reunion." By the Qing Dynasty, there were more records about mooncakes, and their production became more and more sophisticated.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, mooncakes have become a Mid-Autumn Festival delicacy throughout our country. "History of the Ming Dynasty" records that "in August, begonias and hostas were admired in the palace. From the beginning of the year, there were mooncake sellers... By the 15th, every family offered mooncakes, fruits... If there were any leftover mooncakes, they were all sold separately. Collect them in a dry and cool place and share them with the family at the end of the year, which is called 'Reunion Cake'." Shen Bang's "Wanshu Miscellaneous Notes" recorded the customs in Beijing during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty: "Moon cakes are given to the common people in August. The moon cakes are served in different sizes and are called "moon cakes".

Today, moon cakes have become more diverse and have different flavors depending on the region. Moon cakes are widely eaten by people from all over the north and south of my country.

Moon cakes symbolize reunion and are a must-eat during the Mid-Autumn Festival. On the festival night, people also like to eat watermelon and other reunion fruits to pray for their families. Life is happy, sweet and peaceful.

Mooncake History

Mooncakes, also known as Hu cakes, palace cakes, small cakes, moon cakes, reunion cakes, etc., are used to worship the moon god during the Mid-Autumn Festival in ancient times. According to historical records, there was a kind of moon cake in Jiangsu and Zhejiang as early as the Yin and Zhou dynasties. The "Taishi Cake", which commemorates Taishi Wen Zhong's thin edges and thick heart, is the "ancestor" of Chinese mooncakes.

When Zhang Qian of the Han Dynasty was on his mission to the Western Regions, he introduced sesame seeds and walnuts to add auxiliary ingredients to the production of moon cakes. At this time, round cakes filled with walnut kernels appeared, called "Hu cakes".

In the Tang Dynasty, there were already private bakers engaged in production, and bakery shops began to appear in Chang'an, the capital. It is said that on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival one year, when Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Concubine Yang Guifei were enjoying the moon and eating Hu cakes, Emperor Xuanzong thought that the name "Hu cakes" was not nice. The name "Mooncake" gradually spread among the people.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the royal family of the Northern Song Dynasty liked to eat a kind of "palace cake", which is commonly known as "small cake" and "moon cake" among the people. Su Dongpo has a poem that says: "Small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crispness and joy in the middle."

Zhou Mi, a writer in the Song Dynasty, mentioned "moon cakes" for the first time in "Old Martial Arts", which described what he saw in Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. name.

In the Ming Dynasty, eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival gradually became popular among the people. At that time, the ingenious bakers printed the mythical story of Chang'e flying to the moon as a food art pattern on mooncakes, making mooncakes a must-have food for the Mid-Autumn Festival that is more popular among people.

In the folk, during the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, there is a custom of worshiping or offering sacrifices to the moon. The moon is full on August and fifteenth, and the Mid-Autumn mooncakes are fragrant and sweet. This famous saying goes out.

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is the custom of people in urban and rural areas to eat mooncakes. Mooncakes were first used as sacrifices to worship the moon god. Later, people gradually began to appreciate the moon and taste mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival as a symbol of family reunion. Gradually, mooncakes also became festival gifts.

Variety

Nowadays, there are many varieties of mooncakes. There are many varieties of mooncakes in my country, which are divided according to their origin: Beijing-style mooncakes, Cantonese-style mooncakes, Soviet-style mooncakes, Taiwanese-style mooncakes, Yunnan-style mooncakes, Hong Kong-style mooncakes, Chaozhou-style mooncakes, Anhui-style mooncakes, Qu-style mooncakes, Qin-style mooncakes, and even Japanese style, etc.; in terms of taste, there are sweet, salty, salty-sweet, spicy; in terms of fillings, there are osmanthus mooncakes, prune mooncakes, five nuts, bean paste, rock sugar, black sesame, ham mooncakes, and egg yolk mooncakes. etc.; according to the crust, there are pulp crust, mixed sugar crust, meringue crust, cream crust; in terms of shape, there are glossy crust and lace crust.

Characteristics of mooncakes from various origins:

Cantonese-style mooncakes: thin, soft, sweet, and delicious fillings

Suzhou-style mooncakes: crispy, crispy, Overlapping layers of crispy cakes, heavy in oil but not greasy, sweet and salty

Beijing-style mooncakes: exquisite appearance, thin and soft skin, distinct layers, attractive flavor

Chaozhou-style mooncakes: heavy in oil Sugar, soft texture

Dian-style mooncakes: crispy skin and beautiful fillings, moderate sweetness and saltiness, bright yellow color, oily but not greasy

Anhui-style mooncakes: small and exquisite, white as jade, skin Crispy and filling

Qu-style mooncakes: crispy, fragrant and delicious, made with sesame seeds

Among them, Cantonese-style mooncakes are distinguished by their exquisite materials, fine craftsmanship and rigorous production. The skin is thin and soft, the color is golden, the patterns are exquisite and embossed, the shape is beautiful, the fillings are large and oily, the fillings are diverse, the quality is stable, the flavor is pure, the flavor is sweet and delicious, and the aftertaste is endless, making it the leader of the mooncake family. It makes consumers from different social classes, different income levels and different life tastes covet it, forming a trend of Cantonese-style mooncakes being eaten by the whole country, regardless of the country's north or south, people regardless of age. Even overseas Chinese and students living overseas, as far away as Japan, Southeast Asia, and as far away as Australia and the United States, all regard Cantonese-style mooncakes as a must-have for enjoying the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Cantonese-style mooncakes are currently the largest type of mooncakes. They originated in Guangdong and surrounding areas and are now popular all over the country. They are characterized by thin skin and large fillings. Usually the skin-to-filling ratio is 2:8, and the skin-filling has a high oil content. For other categories, the taste is soft and smooth, and the surface is shiny. The outstanding representatives are the white lotus paste mooncakes from Guangzhou Lianxianglou and Guangzhou Restaurant, as well as the Jiangmen Li Palace Tangerine Peel Mooncake.

Beijing-style mooncakes. Beijing-style mooncakes originated from Beijing, Tianjin and surrounding areas, and have a certain market in the north. Its main characteristics are moderate sweetness and skin-to-filling ratio. Generally, the skin-to-filling ratio is 4:6. It mainly focuses on the special flavor of the fillings and has a crispy texture. The main products include Beijing Daoxiang Village's homemade red mooncakes, taped white mooncakes, and five-nut mooncakes.

Suzhou-style mooncakes. Su-style mooncakes originated in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and surrounding areas. Their main characteristics are loose crust, fillings such as five kernels and bean paste, and are sweeter than other mooncakes. The main products include Su-style mooncakes produced by Hangzhou Limin, etc. .

Dian-style mooncakes.

Yunnan-style mooncakes mainly originated and became popular in Yunnan, Guizhou and surrounding areas, and are now gradually becoming popular among consumers in other regions. Its main features are that the fillings are made of Yunnan-style ham, the crust is loose, the fillings are salty and sweet, and it has a unique Yunnan-style ham flavor, the main product is Yunnan ham mooncakes produced by Kunming Ji Qingxiang.

Qu-style mooncakes are self-contained and a local specialty of Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It is characterized by using sesame as an important raw material, so Qu-style mooncakes are also called "Quzhou sesame cakes". Its main representatives include "Duze Osmanthus Mooncake" and "Shao Yongfeng Sesame Cake", a century-old Chinese brand.

Anhui-style mooncakes have a puff pastry skin, which is made by mixing fine flour and vegetable oil. The cake flame is made of wild vegetables (bitter cabbage), which has been pickled and mixed with fresh pork suet and white sugar. Become. The main representative is "Plumb Mooncake".

Other styles of mooncakes are relatively small in quantity. "Every Mid-Autumn Festival is full of moonlight, and the cakes are different every year." In recent years, new styles of mooncakes have emerged one after another. Such as snow skin mooncakes, ice cream mooncakes, fruit and vegetable mooncakes, seafood mooncakes, coconut milk mooncakes, tea mooncakes, etc. Let's take a look at today's new mooncakes:

*Snowskin mooncakes: The characteristic is that the crust does not need to be baked and can be eaten after freezing. It mainly has a transparent milky white skin, but also comes in purple, green, red, yellow and other colors. The taste is very different and the appearance is very harmonious and interesting.

*Ice cream mooncakes: Made entirely of ice cream, just using mooncake molds. August 15th is already the Mid-Autumn Festival but the heat has not completely gone away. It is delicious and refreshing, and it is also a popular choice for many consumers. Among them, the most cost-effective one is the Baxi ice cream mooncake, while Haagen-Dazs is the most expensive ice cream mooncake because of its reputation as the "Rolls-Royce of ice cream"

*Fruit and vegetable mooncakes: characterized by fillings The fillings are mainly fruits and vegetables, with soft fillings and different flavors. The fillings include cantaloupe, pineapple, lychee, strawberry, winter melon, taro, black plum, orange, etc., and are paired with juice or pulp, so it has a fresher and sweeter flavor. .

*Seafood mooncakes: These are relatively expensive mooncakes, including abalone, shark's fin, seaweed, stingray sticks, etc. The taste is slightly salty and famous for its sweet aroma.

* Cool Mooncake: It is made by blending lily, mung bean and tea into the mooncake filling. It is the latest innovation and has the effect of refreshing and beautifying.

*Coconut milk mooncakes: The fillings are made of freshly squeezed coconut juice, evaporated milk and melon and fruits. They have low sugar and oil content. They have a sweet taste and rich coconut flavor, which leaves a lingering texture in your mouth. fragrant. It has the functions of refreshing, nourishing the stomach and beautifying the skin.

*Tea mooncake: also known as the new tea ceremony mooncake, with new green tea as the main filling, the taste is light and slightly fragrant. There is a kind of tea paste mooncake, which is made of oolong tea juice mixed with lotus paste, which is more fresh.

*Health care mooncakes: These are functional mooncakes that only appeared the year before last, including ginseng mooncakes, calcium mooncakes, medicated mooncakes, iodine-containing mooncakes, etc.

*Golden Cream Mooncake: The crust is full of cream, golden in color and has an excellent taste.

*Mini mooncakes: The main shape is small and exquisite, and the production method is exquisite.

Multigrain mooncakes: The raw materials are made of whole grains, which are delicious, healthy and fashionable. The Xibei whole grain mooncakes launched by Xibei Catering Group are the most representative.

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