MOONCAKES

The Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates family and friends, giving thanks, and the sharing of a bountiful harvest, similar to a Thanksgiving feast.  It is one of the major holidays in the Asian lunar calendar, the 15th day of the 8th month or for 2021, September 21st. During the weeks leading to the holiday, a traditional sweet treat is enjoyed: moon cakes (the pastry version to Thanksgiving pies).

Mooncakes are typically sweet bean, fruit, and/or nut filled pastries. There are many regional variations through Asia.  Cakes by Happy Eatery hand rolls and shapes each mooncake in the Cantonese version (southern China/Hong Kong).  Mooncakes are typically round and have intricate carvings atop of the pastry dough.  To serve, slice the mooncake into wedges and enjoy with hot cup of tea.  Some mooncakes have a salted yolk, which represents the moon. The saltiness enhances the sweet filling, similar to salted caramel.

 The Pineapple Prosperity Fish is our signature mooncake. In the Chinese culture, fish symbolizes prosperity and pineapple is the universal symbol of hospitality. Together, we wish all a prosperous and hospitable gathering.

To hear stories of mooncakes and traditions, please join the Chinese American Museum DC’s Zoom presentation of Mooncakes & Tea on Tuesday, September 21st.  Cakes by Happy Eatery will be pairing with Washington DC’s Valley Brook Tea on the presentation.  For more information, please visit the museum’s website:  https://www.chineseamericanmuseum.org/mooncakes

MOONCAKE PRICES
$9 each – Red Bean, Lotus, Lemon Ginger, Wintermelon, or  Green Tea
$11 each  – Mixed Nuts, Double Yolk Red Beans, or Double Yolk Lotus
$13 each – Prosperity Fish (candied pineapple)