August Moon Cake Festival

Monique received some moon cakes from her best friend, and we had an enjoyable evening consuming the cake, which is basically a giant hopia, filled with sweet mongo paste and salted egg yolks.  The cakes are traditionally given in China during the middle of the Autumn season, when the moon is at its largest (closest to the earth), giving luck to both the giver and and recipient.  During the mid-autumn festival, families would often gather after supper to eat moon cakes and watch the giant moon.  Chinese legend has it that in ancient times, there were ten moons in the sky, and a renowned archer was tasked by the emperor to shoot down the 9 extra moons.  Having done so, he was rewarded with a magic potion which was kept by his wife.  As the archer was constantly traveling, one of his rivals took the opportunity to force himself upon the beautiful wife.  In order to escape a cruel fate, the wife drank the magic potion and was lifted up to the moon.  Seeing that the archer was clearly grief stricken, the gods permitted the moon to come close to the earth in mid-autumn, so that the archer could see his wife clearly.  A romantic story!  The tradition of eating moon cakes dates back to ancient times.  In twelfth century Chinese history, the Chinese passed around messages inside the moon cakes in order to plan a rebellion against the Mongols (who didn't eat moon cake).  Today, several bake shops make the cake, and which usually comes in elaborate packaging.  Sometimes special nuts, watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds and lotus seeds are added, and while the usual black mongo beans are used, some cakes use yellow or red mongo beans making a good variety for consumers to choose from.