Every 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the Chinese tradition of celebrating the moon cake festival is widespread. And this year, the Mooncake Festival or also called the Mid-Autumn Festival, fell on last Sunday.
Richard and I don’t celebrate it but if we had kids of our own, we would do so for the novelty of lighting up pretty lanterns and sparklers, and enjoying sweet lotus paste mooncakes that have delicious salted egg yolks inside, YUMMY-YUM-YUM!
This year, we had some delicious mooncakes, c/o of my mother-in-law.
They are actually gifts from a property developer for a project called Eight River Suites (click here to visit the project website), because my brother-in-law works there. Can you imagine? Going to view a property showroom and being presented with mooncakes as door gifts, impressive.
And they weren’t the cheap kind. They were moist and the lotus paste was very smooth, they literally melt down your throat. Though, I wish the salted egg was more oily, like it use to.
Here are some snap shots of the mooncakes we ate and the packaging it came in.
Clockwise from top left:
Half of the mooncake showing the salted egg yolk, yummy • Door gift from Eight River Suites • Close up of Chang’e (Moon goddess of immortality) • Chinese calligraphy that says, “Reunion of love by the moon, Eight River Suites celebrates the Mid-autumn” • Box opens up to contain only 2 pieces of mooncakes (already in our tummy) and fastens with concealed magnets
▶ ▶ Click here to read the folklore of the Mid-Autumn Festival on Wiki.
Some more mooncake eye candy for you (sourced from the internet)
Clockwise from top left:
Snowskin with Champagne truffle & Ganache • Traditional mooncake of lotus bean paste • Jelly mooncake with pineapple bits (Chinese belief that pineapple represents prosperity) • Hello Kitty – what next?! • Traditional mooncake with salted egg yolk • Traditional mooncake set from the Concorde Hotel (hotels are very fond of making and selling their own brand of mooncakes and have them sold at mooncake festival fairs at shopping malls)
Typical lanterns enjoyed by children and adults alike
Wooden mold for the making of mooncakes
They come in various patterns, mostly floral.
We hope we have introduced an interesting cultural tradition for your enjoyment 
Coming up next this week, NEW DESIGNS from JeannieRichard!
Stay fashionably and responsibly chic, XO JR
yum yum!!!!!!!!!
Have you eaten one before? XO!
Never, but they do look yummy!
Hmmm… i sure do hope you get a chance to eat some authentic mooncakes from S.E.A soon! It’s unlike european/american pastries. Its sweet and salty at the same time
I gave away my mooncakes..not a big fan. hahaha
Aww… poor mooncakes… rejected by Fen *chuckle*
I really wonder those you have there, do they taste “authentic” as those here in S.E.A… Hmmm…
I’m not sure. The packaging says they are made in HK… so maybe?
Probably… never tasted HK version myself
Jeannie, what beautifully presented cakes! I love special delicate foods and packaging. I really enjoyed visiting the development website because that is what I do in real life (when I am not blogging); I work with developers to develop commercial properties such as this. It looks beautiful! Actually at one point in Jack’s career, he worked for United Engineers. Truly – a small world!
REALLY?! I thought UE are SG developers… are you saying Jack once worked in SG? I intentionally put a link – it was for you
I knew you would like to see it.
Personally, it looks great on the facade. But if we were to put my money on the line, we will choose none of the units. They are not well planned.
The best developer in SG, in our opinion is called SC Global. Check them out > http://www.scglobal.com.sg We particularly like The Marq.
No, only for UE (if it is the same UE I am thinking of) and that was a l-o-n-g time ago. Thank you for thinking of me with the links.
I will definitely check them out!
UE is a 100 brand name of Singapore, ask Jack if did work for UE
And let me know what you think of SC Global!
Hi Jeannie – I talked to Jack and this UE is not the same one that Jack worked for. His UE is now http://www.raytheon.com/. I bookmarked SC Global b/c it looks like a really wonderful developer, exactly the type I look for! Thank you again for thinking of me with this link; I really appreciate that!
Heheh, I thought so too, Jack is way better than being in UE singapore!
I second that yum yum!!
Have you eaten authentic mooncakes before Mama J?
XO
Haha, no, my daughter but it sure does look delish! I like all things sweet!
Point noted of Mama J
We would light the laterns in heartbeat. Never had a mooncake — I feel like I’m missing out now. We were in SF for the Autumn Moon festival but somehow I missed them.
x Laura
You definitely missed out!! Mooncakes is all about the entire festivity… I do hope you get to eat them next year – go for the ones with salted egg yolks
Very special Jeannie. I am new to this tradition, but a gorgeous Chinese client gave me a moon cake once and I was so touched! It must be a wonderfully chic festival too. Tiny engraved cakes and lanterns…..beautiful!
Aw, so thoughtful of your client. But then again, its actually very typical of our customs to give food – its a total ice-breaker
When we get to the states, my mom is going to enchant everyone with her Peranakan chicken curry and her version of Nasi Lemak (coconut milk rice with sides of scrambled eggs, deep friend anchovies, preserved spicy vegetables, semolina fried dory fish)
Food is such a communal thing
I will search for Nasi Lemak to see if I could try to make it. It sounds delicious! If you come to the states, will you be near Dallas? If you ever are, let me know!
The whole magic of Nasi Lemak is the sambal chilli – my mom makes it from scratch in her own signature taste, spicy and sweet at the same time. We would spoon a huge dollop onto the rice and mixed all up, and eat with the sides. I hope you can take spicy food
When I think of Dallas, I think of YOU! So surely, when the opportunity comes, you are sure to hear from us, thank YOU Patricia – XOXO!!!
Yes, spicy is ok. I found a recipe and bookmarked it. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a travel opportunity! XO
And if YOU two ever drop by Singapore, let us know too
But do it within these 2-3 years, after that we ain’t sticking around in Singapore 
Thanks, Jeannie!
Mmmm…I fell very hungry right now! It looks so yummy!
Big kiss Jeannie
It certainly is yummy, I hope you get the chance to eat some real moon cakes some day soon! XO!
A friend from Hong Kong made me try these – they were glorious!!!
“made me try these” — sounded like your friend had to force or convince you like hell before you took the plunge, LOL!! I am glad you got to eat the real moon cakes
Love to read Chinese Traditions. I wish we could have more and more. I can’t think about something similar here in Italy.
baci
It does seem that folks here like our cultural posts
We will include them more often. The Hungry Ghost Festival just ended 15 days prior to this Mid-autumn one. Richard and I DO NOT partake in this – its more of a taoist ritual. It can be quite scary for people who are new to it.
But the next Chinese celebration would have to be the Lunar Chinese New Year — next year!
Hi JR, Did the moon taste yummy? Keep glowing !!!
Hi Michael! So very nice to have your voice on our humble blog
And yes, the “moon” did taste yummy – you keep being inspirational!
Those cakes are gorgeous – maybe the only food I’d wear without feeling embarrassed.
hahaha! I’d still think it strange to wear them!