The Mid-Autumn Festival has been practised in China since the Shang Dynasty over 3,000 years ago. The Festival gained popularity during the Tang Dynasty of 618-907 AD, as the Emperor Xuanzong began celebrating it in his palace. By the end of the Qing Dynasty in the late 1800s, Mid-Autumn Festival was considered a national celebration, to the extent that Empress Dowager Cixi allocated several days prior to it each year to practise elaborate preparatory rituals.

 

There are two Chinese myths associated with the Mooncake Festival. The first relates to the Baiyue people of South China and North Vietnam, who believed that this was the time a dragon would bring rain for the crops. The second myth relates to the story of Chang’e and her husband Houyi, although there are two versions of the story which portray the characters in very different ways.

 

In one version of the story, an immortal admired Houyi for his archery skills, and wanted him to join the immortals in heaven. Houyi refused to drink the elixir because he did not wish to leave Chang’e. The situation, however, became difficult so Chang’e sacrificed herself, drank the elixir and ascended to the moon. Houyi subsequently sacrificed her favourite fruits and cakes each year in his yard, a tradition which fellow citizens soon followed. The other version of the story states that Houyi was a tyrannical dictator, whose wife, Chang’e, drank the elixir to save the people from further atrocities. In this story, mooncake sacrifices are displayed to commemorate the actions of Chang’e, rather than in solidarity with Houyi.

 

However you interpret the stories, Mooncake Festival is a whole lot of fun, and the tradition has continued as a time for family togetherness ever since.

Today, the Mid-Autumn Festival represents a great time to reunite with family, eat mooncakes and watch the moon at its biggest and brightest. In fact, the mooncakes are baked as circular to represent not only the moon, but the reunion of the family. Often, this is done at night so that families can admire the moon simultaneously. People practise a variety of customs around this time too, such as burning incense for deities like Chang’e. Being in autumn, the festival also continues to coincide with the harvesting of rice and wheat crops, making it an important day in the annual agricultural calendar.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated right across Asia and the world. While festivities in Asia mostly take place in China, they are also enjoyed in Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, India and Singapore. Abroad, many Asian expats and migrants celebrate the Mooncake Festival in the Western world, including in the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

 

Mid-Autumn Festival in China

 

Celebrations take on different forms across China. In China’s south, people often perform dragon dances to celebrate the harvest season and the bringing of rain. There are also notable differences in Xiamen, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. In Xiamen, residents gather to play a gambling game called Bo Bing. Players roll six dice in a ceramic bowl to compete for prizes against their friends, family and community. In Hong Kong and Macau, celebrations take place in the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and as such, a public holiday is convened the following day. Lanterns, mooncakes, palm readings, game stalls and dragon dancing are staples, and are an important part of the local calendar. In Taiwan, the Mid-Autumn Festival is often commemorated with a barbeque.

 

Mid-Autumn Festival outside of China

 

Outside of China, the festival takes many different shapes and forms. In Japan, people hold picnics and drink sake under moonlight, while in Korea, it signifies a three-day holiday where people visit their ancestral hometowns, pay respect to their ancestors and hold big feasts. In Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, the Mid-Autumn Festival is part of an ongoing series of celebrations which occur every full moon, overlapping heavily with Buddhist traditions.

 

Mid-Autumn Festival in Singapore

 

Though not a national holiday, the Mid-Autumn Festival is still celebrated locally in Singapore. One of the biggest highlights is the  Mid-Autumn lanterns, and people often write riddles on the lanterns for their friends and family to solve. Lanterns were not originally used as part of the moon-worshipping process, but have been known to symbolise fertility and to guide the spirits of those who have drowned (when placed on rivers). Today, they have become an intrinsic part of Mid-Autumn festivities, one which adds a great dose of colour and light to the evening’s proceedings. Beyond the lanterns, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a perfect time to spend with family and friends, to take a stroll under the night sky, and to eat some really tasty mooncakes.

There are two main types of mooncake: traditional and snowskin. Both can be served with tea or given as luxury gifts to family and friends.

 

Traditional mooncakes are about 10cm in diameter and are 3-4cm thick. The pastry crust is 2-3mm thick, often featuring a combination of lard, vegetable oil and/or yolks from salted duck eggs. The delicious paste it is filled with is rich, and usually contains red lotus, white lotus or red bean paste. Macadamia nuts, osmanthus, orange peel and melon skins are sometimes added, too. Traditional mooncakes are baked with a sugary syrup, giving them a glossy look.

 

Meanwhile, snowskin mooncakes are steamed, not baked. This is primarily because the outer dough encasing (also known as mochi) is made from a combination of regular and glutinous flour, as well as wheat starch. Therefore, they don’t require baking in the same way that egg yolk and pastry do. Snowskin mooncakes are often coloured, too, because the mochi allows for it more easily than traditional dough. They are a little more delicate, so soft fillings such as red bean, mung bean and lotus paste, as well as custard, are common.

 

One of the most common fillings in snowskin mooncakes is durian and they are thus subsequently referred to as durian mooncakes. Durian is commonly known as a fruit with a pungent smell and a striking, green spiky shell. Nonetheless, its interior filling is a flavour to die for: sweet and custardy, like a mix between vanilla and caramel. People across Asia love the taste, particularly in Thailand and Malaysia, where the majority of the fruit’s growth takes place. Love it or hate it, it’s one of the more unique types of fruit you’ll find in Asia.

In the market for some delectable mooncakes? You can snap up the mooncakes you love right here on iShopChangi. Shop for your favourite traditional, snowskin, durian and TeoChew mooncakes, or buy them in a set alongside a nice bottle of whisky from our wines and spirits collection.

 

Traditional Mooncakes

 

Shop for traditional baked mooncakes with all sorts of delicious fillings. Try the iconic Pure Red Bean mooncake and taste the sweet, earthy and deep flavours of adzuki beans with sugar. Red beans are known for being rich in antioxidants and iron, so you can thank yourself for a little health kick, too. For something a little milder, try a mooncake with Pure Lotus paste, and see if you can pick out the subtle notes of its seeds. You can also purchase lotus paste mooncakes such as Pure White Lotus, Pure Lotus Golden Emerald and Bamboo Charcoal Pure Lotus Green Tea. These last two present fantastic colours: the golden emerald showcases a bright green colour which looks divine once cut, while the Bamboo Charcoal demonstrates an impressive dark exterior making it simply irresistible.

 

For branching out, try a mooncake with Mixed Nuts. The medley of nuts include almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and dried citrus, bringing out both delicious flavour and the nutrients your body needs. Otherwise, take a look at the Nyonya Sambal mooncake. This wonderful creation combines traditional recipes from the Peranakan women of the Malay Archipelago with the spiciness of Sambal chilli, resulting in a flavour you’ll never forget.

 

Snowskin and TeoChew Mooncakes

 

Snowskin fanatics can try a host of snowskin durian mooncakes from Gin Thye. The Durian Mao Shan Wang mooncake comes in various colours, such as the Charcoal Black and Gold Mooncake. Rich, sweet, creamy and complex, you’ll be coming back for more and more of these Mao Shan Wang durian delights after your first bite. Other durian mooncakes include the Durian Red Prawn in Black Charcoal, which uses the smaller red prawn variety of durian. This variety is known for its stickier, smoother consistency and flavourful notes reminiscent of red wine, berry and chocolate.

 

Alternatively, if you prefer the flaky TeoChew Yam mooncakes, buy a set on its own or with a Single or Double Yolk. These mooncakes are more like pastries in their consistency and taste. Taste the uniquely sweet and nutty flavours of the taro plant that gives this TeoChew mooncake its divine status.

 

Mooncake Combination Deals

 

Most mooncake box purchases from iShopChangi contain four mooncakes, meaning you can share them with your family or give a box as a gift to extended family and friends. For variety, order a combination box set offering different types of mooncakes, such as the 972 Yu Jian Huang Chong Mooncake which contains a white lotus, buttermilk, matcha red bean and chocolate mooncake. You can also buy a two-piece Lava Milk White Lotus Mooncake box set (white rabbit), to share between you and a loved one.

 

If you like whisky, order a package with four snowskin mooncakes alongside a bottle of delicious Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, or a bottle of Glenrothes 18 Years Old which comes with a deluxe tea set on the side. Both of these iconic bottles are made by top-quality whisky distilleries, ensuring unforgettable taste. The Glenfiddich 15 Year is richly layered due to its unique, threefold oak casking in sherry, bourbon and new oak, while the Glenrothes 18 Year contains a bold flavour, a product of its 100% sherry seasoned cask. Both work fantastically as accompaniments to desserts and, of course, mooncakes. These combination deals are hard to beat, and make for fantastic, thoughtful gift options for the people you cherish.