What is the origin of lotus seed cake?

Lianrong moon cake is a traditional name of modern Guangdong Province, and it is a Mid-Autumn Festival food. There are pure lotus seeds, lotus seeds with egg yolk, double yellow, three yellow and four yellow lotus seeds. The materials used in the cake stuffing are very particular, and the lotus seeds of that year should be chosen. The prepared stuffing is golden in color, smooth and fragrant, and the moon cake is rich and delicious in shape. In 2009, Cantonese lotus seed cake officially entered the intangible cultural heritage list of Guangzhou, becoming one of the first foods on the list. At the same time, Cantonese bacon and Xiaofeng cake are also on the list.

Moon cakes are traditional snacks with a long reputation and are deeply loved by people in China. They are round, shared by the whole family, symbolizing reunion and harmony, and are a must-eat food for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Ancient moon cakes were eaten as sacrifices in the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is said that the custom of eating moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Tang Dynasty. In the Northern Song Dynasty, it was popular in the court, but it also spread among the people. At that time, it was usually called "Xiao Bing" and "Yue Tuan". In the Ming dynasty, it became a common dietary custom of the whole people. Nowadays, there are more varieties and different local flavors. Among them, Cantonese-style, Peking-style, Yunnan-style, Suzhou-style and Chaozhou-style moon cakes are deeply loved by people all over China.

Ancient traditional moon cakes are eaten as sacrifices in the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is said that the custom of eating moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Tang Dynasty. During the Northern Song Dynasty, it was popular in the court, but it also spread among the people. At that time, it was usually called "Xiao Bing" and "Yue Tuan". Later, it evolved into a circle, symbolizing a happy reunion, reflecting people's good wishes for family reunion, and also deeply missing their relatives and friends. The word "moon cake" has been used in Wu's book Dream in the Southern Song Dynasty. However, the description of enjoying the moon and eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival was recorded in the West Lake Travel Agency in the Ming Dynasty: "August 15th is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people use moon cakes to get together". In the Qing Dynasty, there were more records about moon cakes, and the production became more and more elaborate.