For the Chinese, Vietnamese and appropriate Americans out there: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! One of the traditional Chinese holidays with a ridiculously long history that I don’t really know much about because I’m American, the Mid-Autumn Festival to me is the Thanksgiving of Chinese holidays – it’s not the Lunar New Year, but a day off from work to eat seasonally appropriate things? We’ll take it! Well, maybe not those mooncakes, which I’ve never been a fan of. And apparently, neither are the Chinese; read more, after the jump.
My Mid-Autumn festival growing up usually involved my family sitting awkward around the dinner table after bickering at each other, ready to eat mooncakes. These pastries are the size of flan (thanks for the observation, Spanish friend!) and have intricate patterns and designs. And every year without fail, I would be disappointed with how they taste, since my Western palette would expect something similar to a light, buttery, fruit or chocolate-filled French pastry and instead bite into a heavy concoction of lotus seed paste and salted duck egg yolk. Totally alright as an enlightened 34 year old, so NOT cool as a nine year old who just had a cheeseburger at McDonalds the meal before.
Surprisingly, I may not be alone in my ambivalence for the very heavy festival pastry, as this article from the LA Times talking about the waning popularity of the mooncake, even with the Chinese. Seen as “too sweet” and unhealthful but expensive, they’re now being seen as one of those things you pass around to older family members, just like Christmas fruitcake, cartons of Parliments or Almond Roca. (Please note: your actual gifts to elders may vary.)
(Flickr photo credit: Jimmie)
