YueBing

MOOD

Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节; Zhōngqiūjié)

MoonCake (YueBing)

A Chinese confection that is traditionally eaten during Mid-Autumn Festival.

Typical Shape: Round, but not always. Sometimes Square or rectangular.

Typical Dimensions: About 10 cm in diameter, and 4-5 cm thick.

Typical Characteristics: Very dense. The traditional pastry has a brown skin with lotus paste, and a whole egg yolk in the center to symbolize the moon. When the cake is cut into quarters, as is traditional custom, the yolk looks like a round moon, and it balances out the sweet filling with a salty taste.

According to chinese legend, Mooncakes helped bring about a revolution. The time was the Yuan dynasty (AD 1280-1368), established by the invading Mongolians from the north. The Mongolians subjugated the Han Chinese.

According to one Chinese folk tale, a Han Chinese rebel leader named Liu Fu Tong devised a scheme to arouse the Han Chinese to rise up against the ruling Mongols to end the oppressive Yuan dynasty. He sought permission from Mongolian leaders to give gifts to friends as a symbolic gesture to honor the longevity of the Mongolian emperor. These gifts were round mooncakes. Inside, Liu had his followers place pieces of paper with the date the Han Chinese were to strike out in rebellion - on the fifteenth night of the eighth month.

Thus Liu got word to his people, who when they cut open the mooncakes found the revolutionary message and set out to overthrow the Mongols, thus ending the Yuan dynasty.

===

Out of the tradition. Hello Kitty Chocolate Mooncakes!