Mooncakes

Mooncakes are round, moon-shaped bakery delicacies also called “sweetmeats” that are eaten during the Chinese Autumn Moon Festival and shared at gatherings with family, friends and business associates. Special and beautiful auspicious designs for blessings and good wishes are fashioned into the crust and in the past were often produced using carved wood sweetmeat confection molds. Varying by region, each confection is a Chinese pastry with auspicious designs on the crust stuffed with pastes of lotus seeds, green tea, and red bean, cooked meats, fruits, nuts, and/or vegetables mixed with egg yolks as well as round fruits like persimmons which symbolize reunion (tuanyuan). Their shape imitates the harvest moon in the sky during the time of the festival symbolizing the inclusiveness and togetherness that brings prosperity and reunion to the extended family.