Moon Cakes

Last week was the Mid-Autumn festival.  Surprisingly, it doesn't feel like fall here yet, the days are still heavy with heat.  But the moon was beautiful.  The Moon festival is held during a full moon close to the Autumnal equinox (late September, early October).  

Once again we received more moon cakes than we know what to do with.  The boxes are so pretty, but the cakes are dense, heavy, chewy confections.  They take serious energy to eat, and the flavors remind me strongly of what I remember fruit cakes to be like, but with a wild exotic flair.  There are red bean paste ones, some sort of jellied sweet duck egg, a sweet sesame paste, something that might be lotus, and many many other flavors, that I cannot describe.  

But I do love the boxes they come in.  Oh if only the boxes held donuts!  

Scenes from Jianghan during the October Holidays

Aside from spending our time looking for cheese (I don't know about you, but my diet is not complete without cheese), we have also looked around in Wuhan for places to hang out and stroll about.  One of the many places to go here is the Jianghan pedestrian street.  It was pretty crowded since we didn't get out until after lunch time AND it is a holiday, but it provided for pretty cool people watching. 

The October Holidays

Our first week in Wuhan has coincided with the October holidays in China.  The holidays are officially considered to be the National Holiday, and this year they also happened to coincide with the Mid-Autumn festival.  The upshot being that right after our arrival all official functions have been shut down for the past week.  But it has given us an excellent opportunity to explore our new city as a family, instead of just me, or me and Babes trying to figure things out on our own.  Normally we arrive in country and the Mister is whisked off to work at 8 am the following morning. 
I digress,  the Mid Autumn festival is actually a pretty fun one, businesses give out mooncakes to all of their contacts, and I think families and friends give them out too.

 (I wonder if they will eventually go the way of the fruit cake and those Hickory farms gift boxes that we used to get around Christmastime when I was a kid? )  Mooncakes can be savory or sweet, elaborate, or simple.  I have seen them filled with fruit, eggs, some sort of fish paste, nuts, chocolate, meat, etc...

The ones we got from Starbucks last year were the best ones that I've ever had, but probably the least traditional.  I also find that the boxes that mooncakes come in are pretty useful.  They usually involve drawers, and lids, and make excellent storage for doll clothes and other tiny doll accessories.

Aside from eating mooncakes, you are also supposed to view the moon, light lanterns, and eat pomelos.  It is also a traditional time for matchmaking, and we have seen tons of wedding processions to mark the occasion.