月饼月餅
yuè bǐng jyut6 beng2
Round like the harvest moon, mooncakes are cut and shared so everyone holds a piece of the same circle — separation and reunion in one pastry. Legend says Ming rebels hid secret messages inside them.
The story behind it
Mid-Autumn (中秋节) is the second-biggest festival of the year: families gather under the full moon, and mooncakes are gifted in ornate boxes between businesses and friends. The legend of Chang’e, who drifted to the moon after drinking the elixir of immortality, is told to children over the cutting of the cake.
Ingredients
- 200 g golden syrup-based dough (flour, golden syrup, lye water, oil)
- 500 g lotus seed paste
- 8 salted egg yolks
- Mooncake mould (63 g size)
- Egg wash
Steps
- Wrap each yolk in lotus paste, then wrap a thin layer of dough around it.
- Press into the mould and stamp out the pattern.
- Bake 5 minutes at 200 °C, rest, brush with egg wash, bake 12 minutes more.
- Store 1–2 days — the crust softens and turns glossy (回油) before serving.