Last weekend I took my oldest son to Chinatown to meet friends for dim sum. On our way out, we stopped in a Chinese grocery and bought a box of mooncakes in preparation for the Mid-Autumn Festival, my favorite Chinese holiday. Not only are mooncakes a treat at this time of [...]]]>

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Last weekend I took my oldest son to Chinatown to meet friends for dim sum. On our way out, we stopped in a Chinese grocery and bought a box of mooncakes in preparation for the Mid-Autumn Festival, my favorite Chinese holiday. Not only are mooncakes a treat at this time of year, but I love the colorful matching shopping bag that comes with each box.

I wrote this article in the current issue of Chicago Parent magazine. It’s a DIY guide to celebrating the Mid-Autumn Fest in Chicago. Mooncakes, concerts, and a street festival. Good stuff.

The most common variety of mooncake contains one or more duck eggs surrounded by a dense sweet filling. But since my older son doesn’t eat eggs, we opted for non-traditional mooncakes filled with a green tea paste mixed with orange peel or nuts.  Even though mooncakes are about the size of my fist, they’re usually cut into four pieces and shared with family or friends. Perfect with a piping cup of tea.

The holiday is always held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. This year it falls on September 22nd.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!