Column: Festival celebrates autumn harvest

Happy harvesting!

The Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the lunar harvest holiday on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar.

Called Zhong Qiu Jié in Mandarin Chinese, the festival commemorates nature’s abundance during harvest time.

First found in a written collection from the Zhou Dynasty about 3,000 years ago, the festival has been made a public Chinese holiday.

The IU Chinese Student and Scholar Association filled Dunn Meadow Saturday to commemorate the full moon with music, games and delicacies.

Chinese and Vietnamese people celebrate the full moon and the legend of the archer Houyi and his wife, Chang’e, the moon goddess of immortality.

There are many variations to the tale of how Chang’e became the moon goddess told every harvest festival.

Most versions involve a potion that Chang’e took to make her immortal.

When Chang’e floated to the moon, she still felt a close connection to the community on Earth. As she drifted into the heavens, she sought shelter on the moon.

The story says the moon shines especially bright during the festival because Houyi makes his yearly visit to his wife.

Chang’e represents the “yin” and feminine quality of the moon, while Houyi represents the sun and “yang.”

To commemorate Chang’e, the festivities emphasize enjoying the bright moon, admiring and making tributes to the gifts of nature with historical and cultural practices.

The most recognizable traditions during the festival are making sacrifices to the full moon, dancing with lanterns and the moon rabbit and eating rich, delicious mooncakes.

Mooncakes, or yuè bing, are offered at family gatherings to eat while enjoying the full moon.

Made with various different fillings, a mooncake is a pastry with a printed pattern on the outside and paste filling on the inside. 

Different flavors and fillings are popular in various regions, but they are most traditionally made with a lotus seed paste filling and an egg yolk in the center to represent the full moon.

Some mooncakes contain four yolks in the center, representing the four phases of the moon. They often include walnuts, pumpkin, red bean paste, almonds and dates.

Other fillings include nuts, fruits and even ham. Some modern flavors have chocolate and green tea fillings. Ice cream has become a successful selection in Taiwan.

Making moon cakes for the brightest full moon of the year isn’t easy. It is considered a sacrifice to prepare and share the pastry.

Prep up this delicious, sweet mooncake variation ahead of time and share with friends while enjoying the moon.

RECIPE
Yields about 24 moon cakes

Dough ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dried milk powder
3 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Paste ingredients:
1 can pre-made tiramisu or chocolate lotus paste (store bought)
1/4 cup finely-chopped almonds
24 salted egg yolks (store bought)

Egg wash ingredients:
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the lotus paste with chopped almonds.  
3. Kneed the dough to a thin circle.
4. Surround the egg yolk with a few tablespoons of the paste, and place it inside the piece of dough.
5. Wrap the dough into a ball or square shape.
6. Use a fork to make specialized designs on the top of the moon cake.
7. Spray the top with a little water and brush with the egg wash.
8. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes total until the moon cakes are a golden-brown color. The cakes should be taken out every 10 minutes for another coat of egg wash to keep the design from cracking.

— espitzer@indiana.edu