While I am typing these lines with 39 degree fever, my friends are having a plentiful sea food dinner together and mom is sending me some video of family gathering. So, lets write something, since I missed all of these situations and lying on my bed without eating anything for a whole day, at least I can look back the photos and enjoy the memory.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most significant and cherished festivals in many Asia culture, which is usually fall on the end of September(middle of August in lunar month) and stepped in rich traditions with the unity of families and friends. As time is getting closer to the festival, the streets in HK are gradually decorated with lanterns. One of the most famous place is Lee Tung Street, which is probably the place with most festival atmosphere.
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Well, how can we talk about festival without festival food. There is a saying, "The west wind stirs, and the crab's legs itch" which refers to the fact that during the Mid-Autumn Festival each year, crabs are at their peak with abundant and rich roe, making it the best time to indulge in their deliciousness. I was lucky to have a crab dinner in Shanghai, otherwise I will be double sad now watching my friend enjoy crabs.
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Anther more popular or well know tradition is moon cake. Egg-yolk custard moon cake is the most popular choice in the town and almost all hotels make their own gift box of moon cake.
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But the innovation recently is like an army race. This year I tried moon cake with fillings range from manuka honey, earl grey, creme brulee, fresh fruit like strawberry or mango. Also there are coffee, blueberry with cheese, sesame, coconut with latte custard.
One thing really surprise me is the fresh meat mooncake I had in Shanghai. Unlike the sweet fillings found in other mooncakes, fresh meat mooncakes contain a savory filling made with minced meat, such as pork, chicken, or beef. The meat is often combined with a medley of ingredients, including mushrooms, onions, and fragrant spices, to create a flavorful and aromatic filling. The pastry crust of fresh meat mooncakes tends to be thicker and flakier compared to the delicate crust of Cantonese mooncakes, providing a satisfying bite.
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"Why are you calling bun as mooncake?" My Cantonese friend asked. It seems that I ruin his world by telling him there are moon cakes in the world with salt fillings and no smooth and flaky crust.
Well, what will you say if I introduce Yunan Ham moon cake, Sir? The core of many moon cake is the perfect balance between salt and sweet, and yunnan Ham moon cake did the best job ever. Yunnan's favorable climate for ham curing has played a crucial role in the creation of the ham-stuffed mooncakes. The origin of these unique mooncakes can be traced back to the era of the Republic of China (1912-1949) in Hexianglou workshop in Kunming.
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Thanks for reading, this is all I am thinking about at this year's mid-autumn festival. And I wish you see the most round moon today no matter where you are and I will continue sleeping with a hot forehead now.
