A Guide to the Mid-Autumn Festival: Legends, Mooncakes, and the Perfect Cup of Tea
Updated: 6 days ago
As the summer warmth fades and the autumn breeze begins to sweep in, families across East Asia prepare for one of the most significant and poetic celebrations of the year: the Mid-Autumn Festival. This year it falls on 25th of September. Often called the Moon Festival, this enchanting holiday is a time for expressing gratitude for the harvest, lighting lanterns, and most importantly, reuniting with loved ones under the brightest, fullest moon of the year.
But no Mid-Autumn gathering is complete without its two most iconic culinary stars—rich, dense mooncakes and the perfect, piping-hot cup of tea to balance them.
The Origins and the Legend of Chang'e (嫦娥)
The roots of the Mid-Autumn Festival stretch back over 3,000 years to the Shang and Zhou dynasties, originating as a custom of moon worship and giving thanks for a bountiful autumn harvest. Celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, it is a time when the moon is believed to be at its most magnificent.
Woven into the history of this harvest festival is the enduring, romantic legend of Chang'e, the Moon Goddess. According to ancient mythology, there were once ten suns scorching the earth. A heroic archer named Hou Yi shot down nine of them, saving humanity. As a reward, he was given an elixir of immortality. However, to protect the elixir from a wicked thief, his beautiful wife Chang'e drank it herself.
She immediately floated up into the sky, eventually landing on the moon, where she remains to this day, accompanied only by the mythical Jade Rabbit. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is said that if you look closely at the full moon, you can still see Chang'e and her rabbit companion. Families offer pastries and tea to the moon in her honour.
If you are interested in this Chinese Legend, there is a book called Mountain and Seas, the story above is part of the book. It has been rewrote as a script by Gao Xingjian, receipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2000. You can this perforamce in Edinburgh International Festival last year and the Fringe this year.
The Tradition of Mooncakes
The centerpiece of the festival is undoubtedly the mooncake (yuebing月餅). These round pastries symbolize completeness, unity, and family reunion. Traditionally, they feature a beautifully intricately pressed crust, surrounding dense, rich fillings like sweet lotus seed paste and red bean. Hidden in the center of the most prized mooncakes are one or two salted duck egg yolks, representing the full moon itself.
Because mooncakes are incredibly rich, decadent, and meant to be shared, they are almost never eaten alone. Cutting a mooncake into wedges to share with family members represents the sharing of blessings. And naturally, such a sweet and savory indulgence requires the perfect palate cleanser.
Why Tea and Mooncakes are Inseparable
Pairing tea with mooncakes isn't just a matter of tradition; it is a culinary necessity. The high sugar and oil content of a traditional baked mooncake demands a beverage that can cut through the richness, aid in digestion, and elevate the complex flavours of the pastry.
If you are hosting a Mid-Autumn gathering or simply treating yourself to a mooncake this autumn, here is a guide to pairing them with premium Taiwanese teas:
1. Traditional Lotus Paste & Salted Egg Yolk + Dong Ding Oolong
The sweet lotus paste and the savoury, oily salted egg yolk create a heavy, intense flavour profile. A traditional, charcoal-roasted Dong Ding Oolong is the perfect match. The tea's robust, biscuity, and toasted nut notes stand up to the savoury egg yolk, while its warm, lingering finish washes away the heavy sweetness of the lotus paste, leaving your palate refreshed for the next bite.
2. Mixed Nuts or Savoury Meat Mooncakes + Pu-erh
For savoury mooncakes filled with mixed nuts, seeds, or cured meats, you need a tea with deep, earthy character and powerful digestive properties. Aged Pu-erh tea is the classic choice. Its smooth, woody profile complements the savoury umami of the nuts and meats, while its natural enzymes work wonders for digesting the rich oils.
3. Modern Custard Mooncakes + Ali Shan Jin Xuan
Modern flowing custard mooncakes are softer and more delicate than traditional baked versions. Pairing them with a high-mountain Ali Shan Jin Xuan creates a harmonious dessert experience. The tea's naturally creamy, buttery mouthfeel and light floral notes enhance the sweet custard without overpowering the pastry.
A Toast to the Moon
The Mid-Autumn Festival reminds us to slow down, appreciate the changing of the seasons, and cherish the people around us. Whether you are gazing at the moon from a bustling city or a quiet countryside, taking a moment to brew a pot of fine Taiwanese tea and share a mooncake is a beautiful way to partake in a 3,000-year-old tradition.
Wishing you a joyful, peaceful, and delicious Mid-Autumn Festival!
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