Introduction of Mid-Autumn Gourmet Mooncake

Mooncake is a prestigious traditional Han Chinese snack, loved by the Chinese people as a traditional festival specialties, the shape of the mooncake is round and round, and it is eaten by the whole family, so it symbolizes the reunion and harmony, and it is a must-have on the day of Mid-Autumn Festival. In ancient times, mooncakes were eaten as offerings during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is said that the custom of eating mooncakes at Mid-Autumn Festival started in the Tang Dynasty. In the Northern Song Dynasty, it was popular in the court, but also spread to the people, and was commonly known as "small cakes" and "moon balls" at that time. The development of the Ming Dynasty has become a universal **** the same food customs. To this day, more varieties, flavors vary from place to place. Among them, Cantonese, Beijing-style, Dian-style, Suzhou-style, Chao-style moon cakes are widely eaten by people all over China, north and south.

Mooncakes symbolize reunion and should be the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming Dynasty about the moon cake and Mid-Autumn Festival folklore information, should be able to see the historical trajectory of the moon cake meaning reunion: Mid-Autumn Festival after the moon festival, the whole family are sitting around together to share the moon cake and moon fruit (moon festival offerings). Because the moon is full and the mooncake is round, and it is eaten by the whole family, the symbol of the mooncake representing the reunion of the family has gradually been formed.

Mooncakes are rich in fat and sugar, and are susceptible to mold and deterioration when exposed to heat and moisture, so be sure to store them in a cool, ventilated place. Generally speaking, mooncake skin is soft, moisture, easy to deteriorate, it is best to put the mooncake with the box into the refrigerator freezer, take out one hour before consumption, can ensure its taste. In the temperature environment of 25 ℃, almonds, bagels and other fillings moon cakes can be stored for about 15 days; bean paste, lotus seed paste, date paste and other fillings moon cakes, storage time should not be more than 10 days; if the temperature is more than 30 ℃, moon cake storage time should also be appropriate to shorten the time, should not exceed 7 days in general; as for the moon cakes of fresh meat, shredded chicken, ham, etc., should be purchased and eaten as they are.

Basic Information

Chinese Name

Mooncake

Foreign Name

mooncake

Main Ingredients

Face, Oil, Sugar

Nutritional Composition

Protein, Unsaturated Fatty Acids, Vitamin E

Effectiveness

Softens blood vessels, improve immunity

Expand All

Historical Evolution

Mooncakes

Mooncakes

Mooncakes were the ancient offerings to worship the moon god in the Mid-Autumn Festival, and along the line, the custom of eating mooncakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival has been formed. Mooncakes have a long history in China. According to historical records, as early as in the Yin, Zhou period, Jiang, Zhejiang, there is a commemorative master Wenzhong's thin side of the heart of the thick "master cake", which is China's moon cake "ancestor". Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian's mission to the West, the introduction of sesame seeds, walnuts, moon cakes for the production of additional ingredients, then appeared in the walnut kernel as the filling of the round cake, called "Hu cake".

It is said to have originated in the Tang Dynasty. It was recorded in the book, "The Story of Luozhong", that during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Emperor Xi of the Tang Dynasty sent mooncakes to reward the new students at the Qujiang River Banquet.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, the mooncake was popular in the palace, but it also spread to the people, who commonly called it "small cake" and "moon ball" at that time. Later evolved into a round, symbolizing the reunion of the good, reflecting the good wishes of the family reunion, but also on the deep thoughts of friends and relatives. Northern Song Dynasty Royal Mid-Autumn Festival like to eat a "palace cake", folk commonly known as "small cakes", "moon ball". Su Dongpo has a poem: "small cakes such as chewing the moon, there are crispy and Yi".

Moon cake

Moon cake

Southern Song Dynasty Wu Zimu's "Dream Sorghum Records" book, there has been the word "mooncake", but the Mid-Autumn Festival to enjoy the moon, eat mooncakes description, is the Ming Dynasty's "West Lake Excursion Zhi will be" only recorded: "August 15 is called Mid-Autumn Festival, the folk with the Mooncakes to leave each other, take the meaning of reunion". By the Qing Dynasty, there were more records about mooncakes, and the production became more and more elaborate.

Zhou Mi, a writer in the Song Dynasty, first mentioned the name "mooncake" in his account of Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty.

During the Ming Dynasty, mooncakes were gradually popularized among the people during the Mid-Autumn Festival. At that time, the clever baker, the Chang'e moon mythological story as a food art pattern printed on the moon cake, so that the moon cake has become more popular among the people of the Mid-Autumn Festival of the necessary food.

During the Qing Dynasty, eating mooncakes at Mid-Autumn Festival had become a common custom, and the production skills were getting higher and higher. Qing Yuan Mei "with the garden food list" introduced: "crispy moon cakes, with pine nuts, walnuts, melon seeds and rock sugar, lard for filling, eat without feeling the sweetness and aroma of soft and creamy, very different from the ordinary". Beijing's mooncake is the former door Zhimei Zhai made for the first. Across the country, has formed Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Chao five flavor series, and around the Mid-Autumn Festival moon worship, moon viewing has also produced many local folklore, such as Jiangnan's "Bu Scholar": cut the mooncake into three large, medium and small, stacked on top of each other, the largest placed underneath the "Scholar". The biggest one is placed in the bottom as "Scholar"; the middle one is placed in the center as "Top Eyes"; and the smallest one is placed on the top as "Flower Scout". And then the whole family rolled the dice, who has the most digital, that is, the first prize, eat big pieces; in turn, the top, the flower, the game for fun.