Moon Cake
The Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Moon Cake or Lantern Festival, originating from a time of conflict in 14th-Century China. While Chinese in different countries celebrate it with distinct traditions and practices, all agree that the festival commemorates the summer harvest season of their ancestors, and also the fall of Mongolian rulers in China after a successful rebellion.On the day of the uprising, the rebel leaders delivered thousands of moon cakes to homes scattered around the city, each containing a letter stating the time and date to rise up. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebellion began and succeeded in driving off the Manchurian oppressors.
In Malaysia, the Chinese celebrate this festival by purchasing and consuming moon cakes with different flavours, including some outrageous ones like durian and coffee! So popular are these moon cakes that many hotels, if not all, stock their own freshly-made pieces for guests to savour. Hotels and resorts around the country take this opportunity to outdo each other with quality moon cakes using creative and innovative flavours and designs.
From the traditional red bean or lotus paste to the innovative ice cream versions, moon cakes are a once-a-year delight. At night on the actual festival, children take to the streets walking around with paper lanterns shaped like animals, vehicles or the traditional Chinese ‘Tan Lok’ foldable lanterns.
