Mooncake

Mooncakes (yuèbǐng) are the defining food of the Mid-Autumn Festival (zhōngqiū jié), observed on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month — typically late September or early October. They are given as gifts in elaborate boxed sets during the four to six weeks preceding the festival and eaten on the night of the full moon while watching it rise.

The most widely recognised style is the Cantonese baked mooncake: a thin, burnished golden-brown crust made from a dough of golden syrup, flour and alkaline water, which produces a characteristic glossy, slightly sticky exterior after baking. Inside is a dense filling of lotus seed paste (liánróng) — smooth, sweet, slightly earthy — with one or two whole salted duck egg yolks at the centre. The yolk represents the full moon. The filled dough is pressed into a carved wooden or plastic mould that imprints the surface with patterns indicating filling type, producer name or auspicious characters, then baked and brushed with egg wash. The crust softens slightly over two to three days as the filling's moisture migrates outward, reaching its best texture after resting.

The Suzhou variant (Sūshì yuèbǐng) uses a flaky, laminated wheat pastry with visible layers, similar to a rough puff; fillings are typically sweetened pork or red bean, and the crust stays crisp rather than softening.

Snow-skin mooncakes (bīngpí yuèbǐng), originating in Hong Kong, use a no-bake glutinous rice skin stored chilled. They are eaten cold and have a softer, more delicate texture. Fillings in this style range from traditional lotus paste to sea salt custard, mango and chocolate.

Gift boxes sold at hotels and premium bakeries have become a significant commercial category; prices for luxury editions reach several hundred yuan per box.