Yes, it's the Mid-Autumn Festival once again! For mooncake lovers, this is the time to indulge! There are so many varieties these days, but being a chip of the old block (Mum), I still prefer the classic ones with simple fillings of lotus paste and red bean paste. Mooncakes to the Chinese are a symbol of reunion and the custom of eating mooncakes during this auspicious time will always remain an important part of Chinese culture.
Few people pray to the moon nowadays but I shall always remember the time when we were young. Mum would set up a table of offerings to the moon and apart from mooncakes and moon biscuits, there were fruits, kueh, baby yam and "leng kok" (water caltrop). The latter resembles little black bats and are quite hard for the teeth, even after boiling them!
I was told that peeling and eating baby yam in front of the moon ensures a beautiful smooth complexion for ladies. Water caltrops are offered because it is said that bats are lucky - the Chinese character for "bat" has the "fu" sound, similar to that of the word "luck".
We often stayed up far into the night until the moon vanished behind the clouds and only then was Mum contented to call it a night!
Moon biscuits with and without fillings
I was told that peeling and eating baby yam in front of the moon ensures a beautiful smooth complexion for ladies. Water caltrops are offered because it is said that bats are lucky - the Chinese character for "bat" has the "fu" sound, similar to that of the word "luck".
We often stayed up far into the night until the moon vanished behind the clouds and only then was Mum contented to call it a night!
Moon biscuits with and without fillings
Mooncakes by the dozen
Water caltrops
HAPPY MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL
and enjoy your mooncakes!
and enjoy your mooncakes!
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