Mmmm, mooncakes!
(posted by Dave)



Whew, we’ve been teaching for almost a month now. Time for a week off! Fortunately, the Chinese national calendar has obliged us with just that. First is National Day on October 1st, the anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic. Then it’s Mid-Autumn festival on October somethingth, where people celebrate, um ... Autumn? (Yes, my boundless knowledge of Chinese culture astounds even me sometimes.)

Anyway, besides a full eight days off, the Autumn festival also gives us (cue Homer Simpson drooling over donuts sound effect here) mooncakes! Mooncakes are little round cakes made from wheat flour with any number of rich sweet fillings inside, and they are pleasing in oh so many ways. First off is the general visual appeal - they always have really cool looking intricate designs stamped on top. Second is their heft. They’re about the size of a medium Little Debbie snack treat, but they’re very dense. They weigh as much as a ... baseball? Well, a very tasty baseball, anyway.

Which brings us to their taste. Now maybe my sweet tooth has been starved a bit while here, but one bite (of the good ones anyway) and you know you are sampling the Most Awesome Thing In The World. The best are the ones with bean paste, brown sugar, raisins, and nuts. A little like good baklava, but without the crumble and drip factors. They are a little oily, so maybe I have been deprived of sweets as of late. Maybe I should send some home and see how they stack up against a hot fudge sundae and a handful of Oreos. I think they’d beat the Oreos hands down. Not sure about the sundae, though.