15th August of lunar calendar is Mid-Autumn Festival. It’s 24th September of this year. International interns in China will also get 3days off for the Chinese traditional festival. Although there is still two weeks before the Mid-Autumn Festival, many supermarkets have begun selling moon cakes. Mooncakes are traditional Chinese food. Mooncakes are in round shape, which are symbolizing reunion in Chinese culture. It reflects the people’s aspiration for family reunion.

In terms of the taste, moon cake has sweet, salty and spicy taste. As for the filling, usually it has five kernel, bean paste, ice sugar, yolk and ham moon cakes.

Where to buy mooncake

If you are doing an internship in China this time, you will see different kinds of moon cake with impeccable packaging and uneven price. You can buy moon cake in these supermarkets: Carrefour, Wal-Mart, Ito-Yokado, Lotte and so on. Some chain convenience stores like 711, red flag and wowo are also sell some moon cakes.

 

Lotus paste mooncake

Lotus paste mooncake is a traditional dessert of Guangdong Province in Mid-Autumn Festival. Generally, it has one or two egg yolks, some even have three or four yolks. The filling materials are very particular. People will choose the lotus seeds produced in the year. The lotus paste is soft and sweet while the egg yolk is salty.

Ham mooncake

Ham mooncake was originally from “Hexianglou” in Kunming. Ham mooncake is made of ham, honey, lard, sugar and other fillings, baked with purple wheat flour. The surface is golden or brown and there is a layer of hard shell outside. The taste of this kind of moon cake is sweet with salty juice.

 

Have an internship in China and live a life as locals by eating the most authentic food and celebrating Chinese festivals! Mid-Autumn Festival is coming, if you get some mooncakes from your Chinese coworkers or internship company in China, please do not forget to call your family and tell them that you miss them.