Hotels make Mid-Autumn celebrations a piece of cake
From traditional flavors to new tastes, mooncakes remain a staple of the festival in China, Song Mengxing reports.
A piece of mooncake, a cup of tea and the shimmering light of the moon make for an unforgettable night on China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.
It is also a time when Chinese people return home to catch up with friends and family. This year's festival will be celebrated on Sept 15 and several hotels in Beijing have already launched their exclusive mooncake gift boxes.
The Peninsula Beijing is offering various mooncake gift boxes ranging from 368 yuan ($55) to 1,088 yuan. Among the offerings are mini egg-custard moon cakes, based on a famous recipe originating in Hong Kong, which has been a long time favorite since 1986.
The Westin Beijing Chaoyang offers mooncake boxes ranging in price from 198 yuan to 2,588 yuan and the flavors include tiramisu paste, ham and mixed nuts, red lotus paste with egg yolk as well as jujube paste.
Early birds buying 20 boxes or more will be entitled to a discount.
The Ritz-Carlton Beijing is offering three types of gift boxes, consisting of four, six or eight mooncakes with flavors such as assorted nuts and ham, creamy custard, black sesame and pumpkin, and the boxes are available from the hotel until Sept 15.
China World Hotel Beijing offers mooncakes with both traditional and creative flavors ranging from salted egg yolk with lotus paste, to cheese with blueberry and jasmine scented tea.
It is said mooncakes were used as sacrificial offerings to the moon in ancient China and got their name in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).
Eating mooncakes at Mid-Autumn Festival became increasingly popular in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when bakers stamped patterns of fairy tales related to the moon on top of the cakes.
Though centuries have passed, mooncakes remain a staple for many Chinese people at Mid-Autumn Festival.
As well as the traditional egg yolk paste fillings, there are an increasing range of more creative ingredients, including ice-cream mooncakes where chocolate is used as the crust and ice-cream the filling. Other creative flavors include New Zealand cheese, almond coffee and tea.
Contact the writer at songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn
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Clockwise from top: The Peninsula Beijing offers four types of mooncake gift boxes ranging from 368 yuan ($55) to 1,088 yuan; Waldorf Astoria Beijing presents an array of delicious mooncakes with traditional and creative flavors and offers a 20 percent discount on all mooncake boxes purchased before Aug 10; The Westin Beijing Chaoyang presents a variety of mooncakes which are made from selected ingredients and is offering “early bird discounts” for customers who buy a minimum of 20 boxes; Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund is offering a selection of mooncake delicacies in two packages from Aug 8 until Sept 15; The RitzCarlton Beijing has created a variety of delightful mooncakes and a selection of innovative delicacies, complete with traditional Chinese gongfu tea; Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel presents a mooncake gift box priced at 198 yuan (about $30) featuring mooncakes in six different flavors.Photos Provided To China Daily |
(China Daily 08/06/2016 page10)
