Traditional and Fusion (modern) Mooncakes

Mooncakes are Chinese pastries traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; moon cakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion.

Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival, one of the three most important Chinese festivals.

Typical mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm thick. A thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste is surrounded by a relatively thin (2-3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs.

Mooncakes are rich, heavy, and dense compared with most Western cakes and pastries. They are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea.
Nowadays many hotel create a variety of "modern" mooncakes which come in many colors and fillings:
White Lotus Paste, Green Tea Lotus Paste, Pandan Lotus Paste

even Durian Paste
very colorful

Still our favorites are the ones from Raffles Hotel with fillings such as:Champagne-Truffles & Chocolate Ganache, Feulletine-Hazelnut with Wafer Crunch Nuts, Baileys Chocolate and Rum & Raisin Chocolate Truffle
Mooncakes with white skin are called Snow - Skin Mooncakes and are really delcious!!

Mid Autumn Festival also known as Chinese Moon Festival

The Mid-autumn Festival also known as Chinese Moon Festival is celebrated on the 15th moon day of 8th Chinese lunar month which is the 14 September in 2008.
The first day of 8th lunar month this year is 31st August.
Moon cakes have played a central role in Moon Festival traditions. Once, according to Chinese legend (not necessarily supported by historical records), moon cakes helped bring about a revolution. I was during the Yuan dynasty (AD 1280-1368), when the Mongolians invaded from the north and subjugated the Han Chinese. The rebel leader Zhu Yuanzhang (left) who plotted to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the Yuan dynasty 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 moon cakes. Inside, Zhu had his followers place pieces of paper with the date the Han Chinese were to strike out in rebellion to overthrow the Mongols, thus ending the Yuan dynasty -- on the fifteenth night of the eighth month. These days lanterns were used at night as signals from higher grounds and hilltop.
Hence today, far from the exotic and heroic legends, Chinese communities all over the world make, consume and exchange as gifts these moon-shaped pastries with sweet fillings of red bean and lotus seed paste, during the traditional autumn Moon Festival.
This is a day to worship the moon god an according to folk legend it is also the birthday of the earth god (T'u-ti Kung). The Chinese believe in praying to the moon god for protection, family unity, and good fortune.
The moon festival signals that the year's hard work in the fields will soon come to an end, with only the harvest left to attend to. People use this opportunity to express their gratitude to heaven (represented by the moon) and earth (symbolized by the earth god) for the blessings they have enjoyed over the past year. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomelos together. The round "moon cakes" are symbolic of family unity and closeness.

Pomelos are also eaten on this day. The Chinese word for "pomelo" or "grapefruit" is yu, which is homophonous with the word for "protection," yu, expressing the hope that the moon god give them protection. Moon gazing is another essential part of this festival. On this day, the moon is at its roundest and brightest. This is also a time for lovers to tryst and pray for togetherness, symbolized by the roundness of the moon. Lanterns were used at night as signals from higher grounds and hilltop.

Today, this festival is celebrated with moon cakes and lantern hanging on the house. The lantern and the moon cakes have attracted many children and adults attention. In certain area, lantern procession and competition are held.

In Singapore the Chinese Garden is the special venue for this most beautiful of all the Chinese festivals. Many traditional festivals all over the world have been transformed into highly commercial ones and lots of kitsch is displayed for sale.

I definitely can't find any link between Chinese tradition, moon cakes or lanterns and David Beckham, can you?

Even this "white" guy has no resemblance with any ancient customs, however he is probably the most renown and popular "ang moh" in the Chinatown Night Market.

Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Official Light-Up and Opening Ceremony

Don't miss the official light up and opening ceremony for the mid autumn festival on August 31 6:45 to 10pm. The colourful and exciting event will include a lantern parade, the largest dragon dance street performance, lion dances, other invigorating performances as well as a spectacular fireworks display.

The festivities will culminate with the widely acclaimed performances by renowned Japanese troupe, Akita Kanto.

Chinatown Mid-Autumn, Mooncake and Lantern Festival, 29 Aug - 14 Sep

Get ready for another big event in Chinatown coming up soon. The Mid-Autumn festival is just around the corner.

Check out more than 250 festive stalls selling traditional goodies like moon cakes, pomelos, lanterns and more that will be lining the streets of Chinatown to cater for every festive need.

Stop by at Erich's Wuerstelstand or Backstube to boost your energy with his delicious sausages, meatloaf and bread for more walking around Chinatown's Festive Street Bazaar 29 Aug - 14 Sep:

Stalls are open:
11am – 11pm Sun – Thu
11am – 1am Fri, Sat and PH
in Pagoda Street, Trengganu Street and Sago Street.
Expecting a huge crowd of visitors after a month long hiatus, during the hungry ghost festival, the best bet getting there will be taking public transport.

Take MRT to Chinatown (NE4) or Outram Park (EW16) stations or bus services.