Chinese Moon Cakes The Origins and History

[Di]

Some people have asked about the why's and wherefores
of the up coming Chinese National Day Holiday,
I posted a thread about the holiday foryou,
now here is a little bit about the chinese moon cakes
that are traditionally eaten during this time...........

Mooncakes

In 1280 AD, the Mongolians destroyed the Song Dynasty and controlled China during the Yuan Dynasty (1280AD -1368 AD). Under Mongolian rule, Chinese people were oppressed, persecuted and treated like slaves. Finally, the Chinese had enough and planned a revolution to be held during the August Moon Festival in 1368.
Because Mongolians don’t eat mooncakes, the Chinese planned to overthrow the Mongolians by sending secret messages in mooncakes. Chinese bakers were told to send mooncakes to all Chinese households with the message to execute all Mongolians after the August Moon family gathering. Chinese families were instructed to not to eat the mooncakes until the 15th of the 8th lunar moon.

Besides its significance in Chinese history, mooncakes play an important role in August Moon gatherings and gift giving. These palm-sized round cakes symbolize family unity and perfection. Some mooncakes have a golden yellow egg yoke in the center which looks like a bright moon. They usually come in a box of four and are packaged in tin boxes with traditional Chinese motifs.
A traditional mooncake is made of a sweet bean-paste filling with golden brown flaky skin. The top of the mooncake is embossed with the insignia of the baker molded into the golden brown skin. It takes 2 to 4 weeks to prepare the bean-paste. Because making mooncakes is labor intensive, many families just buy them from bakeries.
Over the years, mooncakes have slowly evolved from a Chinese delicacy to something as common as ice cream cake. To adapt to today’s health conscious and Westernized lifestyle, many bakeries offer miniature mooncakes and fat-free mooncakes. Some are made of yogurt, jelly and fat-free ice cream. To be competitive, bakers boast about how little sugar and oil they use in their mooncakes. Customers can pick and choose the size and filling that suits their taste and diet. However, the traditional bean-paste filling with egg yolk mooncake is still very popular.

 

[Di]

And another article on traditions of this holiday and mooncakes also -----

There is a long history of the Mid-Autumn Festival and other traditional festivals,
is also slowly evolved,
the ancient emperors are coming spring, autumn festival on the officiating system,
as early as in "Zhou", a book has been "altogether" in the records.
Later aristocrats and scholars Bachelor also follow up in the Mid-Autumn season,
facing another round-the sky is a Haoyue, ornamental worship, pinned sentiment,
it is so spread the practice of civil, forming a traditional activities until the Tang Dynasty,
this festival, more attention to the custom, before Mid-Autumn Festival a fixed festival,
"Tang Taizong of the mind" records "Mid-Autumn Festival",
a popular festival in the Song Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties,
and New Year's Day Ming has become one of China's major holidays.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is very rich in legends, acclamation, cutting Gui Wu Gang,
Yutu destroyed the myth of the story of a very wide spread.
Legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival - acclamation It was,
the sky is ancient time on the 10th at the same time, crops wither helpful to health,
sluggish, gave the name of a hero, 1930s, he sympathized with the suffering of the people,
boarded the Kunlun Peak, Wan foot divinity, God opened arch, real life over nine-under the sun,
and the final one around the sun vicissitudes of time, benefit the people.

Therefore shot by the respect and affection of the people,
Ho married a beautiful kind-hearted wife, named Chang'e.
Ho Chuan-yi except hunting, and his wife living together,
people are envious of this biography of love couples.
Many admiring brought to Yevgeny Wells, and not Peng Meng - mindedness also mixed in..

Day turned to the Kunlun Mountains and friends seek Road, from the coincidence of Queen,
the Queen Mother then obtained a packet of immortality.
It is said that taking a drug can instantly ascend to heaven or a god.
However, his wife gave birth reluctant, but the moment of immortality to the Chang'e collection.
Chang will be the vanity drug possession into 100-Kit,
was unexpectedly Peng Meng see a villain, he would like to eating their own immortality
of becoming immortal.

Three days later, again causing only go out hunting, the shuffle Peng Meng pretend illness,
stayed. Everyone was left to be discovered soon,
Peng Meng Nadu armed with sword into the backyard,
intimating Chang'e surrender of immortality. Chang Peng Meng not know their opponent,
critical when she decisive turnaround opened 100-Kit,
a show of immortality swallowed continue. Chang swallow medicine,
the body immediately drifted ground, out of windows, fly to the sky.

As Chang worried about her husband, then fly to the moon from the earth,
has become the latest cents. The evening turned back home,
the maid had cried the day after it. Hot Hollywood is scared,
Choujian rarely thing, Peng Meng early escape, shot - against wailing
and beating his chest and stamped their feet, distraught,
look up the night sky calling his wife's name, when he was surprised
to find that today's full moon exceptionally bright,
but there is a movement figure resembles Chang.
He desperately to recover towards the moon, but his recovery-step,
three-step retreat moon, he three-step retreat, the moon into three steps,
no matter what neither front. <br><br>Hot helpless, misses his wife,
had sent people to the Chang'e favorite in the garden, placed incense,
placed her most favorite foods, usually fresh fruit honey,
remember the Moon Palace, the Chang'e own miss.

People who know acclamation becoming immortal hear the news,
all the decorations on the table, to pray for good fortune good Chang Ping.

Since then, the Mid-Autumn Festival in Baidoa, the custom spread of the civil.

================================================

Two legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival –

Wu Gang won

There are a legend on the Mid-Autumn Festival:
It was a cold moon before the exuberance of osmanthus trees,
more than 500 high height, The above is an often felled in it,
but each time had to, cut the closure of the place immediately.
For thousands of years, such as with a cut, how the osmanthus trees will not be cut.

It is said that this tree-felling people named Wu Gang is the Han River,
has followed fairy seminarians to the community days, but he made a mistake,
he exiled to hear fairy Moon Palace, the day to do this job so futile to show punishment.

Li Bai's poems are "to use GUI mid-holders to pay for the cold," records.

============================================================

Three legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival –

Zhu Yuanzhang and cakes Uprising

It was the Mid-Autumn Festival moon cakes at the Yuan Dynasty.
At that time, the majority of the people unbearable Zhongyuan ruling class and the brutality of the Yuan dynasty rule, have anti-intifada yuan.
Zhu Yuanzhang joint rostrum resistance forces to the intifada.
But officers and soldiers searched throughout the very tight, very difficult to impart information.
Adviser will come up with a ploy to mention,
under the orders of the "August 15 night Uprising" possession of a piece of paper inside the pancake and then sent into the field around the rebel army,
informing them of the intifada in the evening on August 15 response.
The day of the uprising to the rostrum, together Yijun response,
the rebel army as accurately.
Soon, Xu scored on the 1271-1368 intifada succeeded.
News of Zhu Yuanzhang happy quick-mouth under the encyclical,
in the coming Mid-Autumn Festival, and all the officers and men to the same music,
and then started a secret message when the "moon cakes",
as a seasonal cakes reward ministers.

Since then, the "moon cakes" made more sophisticated, more variety,
if the disk, a gift of Jiapin.
After the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival moon cakes have been open to civil.
==================================================================

 

[Minimike]

DI!! Chinglish isn't your mother tongue, I bet.

Thanks for the history.

 

[Di]

Hi Minimike,

ha ha , no, that history post is very nice, but it is very long,
thank goodness I just copy and pasted it.............

I just love learning about other cultures and traditions don't you ??

with the internet, email, and skype,
the world is a much smaller place, and we are all a lot closer with easier communication,.......

 

[Mary Kay]

I tried to find a Chinese bakery in Tampa (while I was visting this weekend) that sells Mooncakes, I really wanted to try one! But the place I went to was gone. Too bad. I guess I will keep looking.

 

[Di]

I tried to find a Chinese bakery in Tampa (while I was visting this weekend) that sells Mooncakes, I really wanted to try one! But the place I went to was gone. Too bad. I guess I will keep looking.

Yes, Mary kay,

this has peaked my interest too,
but I have no hope,
I live in a small township,
only 3000 people and that small in the countryside farming community,
we are pretty spread out as you can imagine.....
so no local bakery here,

ha ha , No Moon Cakes for Di .........

 

[1inchgroup]

I just love learning about other cultures and traditions don't you ??

with the internet, email, and skype,
the world is a much smaller place, and we are all a lot closer with easier communication,.......

It's cool to see there's more to the holiday than just the last 60 or so years of party rule. That's how it's being explained in the stories I've seen...a celebration of Communist Party rule.

Interesting that there's far more to the holiday than the average person is told in the USA.

Thank you for sharing. I may have to do a bit of reading up on Chinese history. Sounds like you have some very interesting stories.

 

[Di]

It's cool to see there's more to the holiday than just the last 60 or so years of party rule. That's how it's being explained in the stories I've seen...a celebration of Communist Party rule.

Interesting that there's far more to the holiday than the average person is told in the USA.

Thank you for sharing. I may have to do a bit of reading up on Chinese history. Sounds like you have some very interesting stories.

Yes, there are many wonderful and interesting cultures in ths -- our world --

I hope to start a topic on all our differences and samenesses
after the holidays, ---------

It will be so good to read about all our friends around the world and get to know each others ways and cultures more.............

China, is one of the oldest cultures we have I think, -----

and so many wonderful stories there ------

there is so much more to all of us than we just see immediately on the surface ------------

 

[vt100]

Thanks for the stories Di! And i'll read that thread if you create it. It's wonderful to learn about all the similarities and enlightening to learn about the differences.

 

[Di]

Thanks for the stories Di! And i'll read that thread if you create it. It's wonderful to learn about all the similarities and enlightening to learn about the differences.

Thank you, vt100

I think it will be one of the most interesting topics that we will have on East Mall forums.

We are all here on this little planet for a short time,
we should all try to be the best we can,
and to do the best we can for the planet, and for each other.

Getting to know each other a little bit,
and understanding the differences
that make us all special in our own ways, is a wonderful Idea.

I am very much looking forward to it.......