Lunar lovelies
Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important Chinese festival after the Lunar New Year. Falling on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which this year falls on Sept 27, it is traditionally a day for family reunions, as the bright full moon symbolizes completeness.
The Chinese word for "round" has a similar pronunciation to the words for "reunion" and "perfect", and round baked delicacies with rich fillings and pastry blessings are an indispensible part of the festival; the tasty tidbits given to extend blessings and best wishes to family, friends and clients.
These uniquely Chinese pies are stuffed with either sweet or savory fillings made from a wide range of ingredients - indeed pretty much anything that can be used has been used. However, the classic moon cake is simply a single or double egg yolk surrounded by either white or red lotus paste in sweet glazed pastry.
Today some of the tastiest and most-attractively presented moon cakes are created by the talented culinary teams at the country's best hotels. Here's a selection to tempt your taste buds:
1. JW Marriott is offering three types of moon cakes, Zhe Yue, Hui Yue and Rui Yue, which refer to the moon of wisdom in different Chinese characters. They come in classic Cantonese flavors.
