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Background
The Han and Minority nationalities worshipped the moon during the Xia and Shang Dynasties (2000 - 1066 BC)
During the Zhou Dynasty (1066 - 221 BC) after the big harvest, there were ceremonies to welcome the winner and worship the moon.
In the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), people worshipped the full moon whenever the Mid-Autumn festival set in.
By the Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279 AD) moon cakes were sent among friends and rleatives as gifts.
Since the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD) people celebrated the Moon Festival annually.
History
The Mongols ruled China in the name of Yuan Dynasty, approximately from 1206 - 1368 AD. During these 163 years the Chinese were oppressed, persecuted, and enslaved.
Finally, Liu Bo Wen (Manadarin), Lau Pak Wan (Cantonese), organized a revolution by putting a message in the moon cakes and passed them among all the Chinese.
The message was: 'Mid Autumn Festival,, let's revolt, kill the Mongols'.
The revolution was a success, Mongolians were driven out of China and the Ming Dynasty was founded in 1368 AD by Zhu Yuan Zhang (Mandarin) and Chu Yuan Chang (Cantonese).
Some historians believe that the moon cake was the predecessor of the fortune cookie with a message inside.
Moon cake collection
Moon cakes are usually round, three inches in diameter and about one and a half inch in thickness. Each cake has a smooth, soft golden brown pastry coating and the inside is packed with red bean paste,
black bean paste, or white lotus bean paste. There is also a single or double egg yolk in the center of the cake. Nowadays, there are hundreds of varieties of moon cakes.
Beijing cakes are stuffed with vegetables. Cantonese cakes are mostly sweet. There are mixed nuts with ham and pork, green bean paste or even Chinese ham fillings. Different areas produce different fillings.
They are on sale months before the moon festival day. Moon cakes are to be consumed by cutting them in quarters and not to be eaten as a whole. Over the years, the moon cake has evolved as one of the most famous cakes in our Chinese culture.
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