A Prelude to Mid-Autumn Festival 2018

CEBU, Philippines — It is the “ber” months under the Georgian calendar. It is autumn in countries with four seasons, where farms are in the midst of harvesting produce in preparation for winter.

The Chinese people around the world celebrate the harvest in a ritual called the Mid-Autumn Festival. Sometimes, it is called the Moon Festival, because it is held when the moon is biggest and fullest on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese calendar. This year, it falls on September 28.

The moon cake is the special food during the celebration of the Moon festival, and it is customary to share and eat moon cakes since its round shape symbolize completeness, unity and reunion. The most senior family member would cut the cakes and share it with the younger members signifying family unity.  The practice is adapted by astute businessmen giving moon cakes as gifts to their clients and this creates a demand for more expensive versions.

There are stories that moon cakes were instrumental in the fall of the ruling Mongols of the Yuan Dynasty. The oppressed Han Chinese plotted to end the tyranny of the Mongols and the moon cakes were used to carry a secret message to coordinate the revolt of the people on the 15th day of the 8th month. Their leader was a “penniless peasant and Buddhist monk” Zhu Yuanzhang, who founded the Ming Dynasty.

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino invited me to preview the moon cakes for the celebrations of this year’s Mid-Autumn Testival.  At the Tim Gow Restaurant, the various moon cakes were displayed: Green Tea, Lotus, Red Bean, Coffee, Coconut Lotus and Black Sesame. One thing I missed though was the Lotus Cream with Salted Egg. The yolk of salted duck’s egg would be usually added because the egg yolk appears like the ‘full moon” after slicing.

Man does not live on bread alone and neither do journalists live only on moon cake. Waterfront Cebu City GM Anders Hallden knows his food and he orders, excuse me, an eight-course lunch.  I remember the time GM Hallden was introduced to the media as the new Waterfront executive chef (December 14, 2006) with the new PR, Elvira Kaye Luym. Our working lunch then consisted of Trio Lobster (Warm Poached Salad, Bisque and Ravioli), Salmon and Lamb. Nice lunch!

The Chinese working lunch began with my old favorite, Hot and Cold Prawn Salad. The cold appetizer was on top surrounded by the hot prawns. Soup was Fresh Scallops with Seafood, followed by Deep-fried Bean Curd with Fruit Sauce and Braised Abalone with Tendon and Mushroom. We had a lively conversation about the making of the bean curd and my attempts in the past to cook pig’s tendons.

The fifth course was the Homemade Steamed Live Garoupa (and I tried to get the best photo of the fish for this article). Spring onions usually cover the fish but it was moved to the side to completely display the fish.  Stir-fry Beef with Black Pepper came next, followed by the Deep Fried Chicken with Crispy Onion in Kimtu Sauce (Two-Way). Tim Gow Fried Rice was the last dish; it really followed the Chinese etiquette to serve the rice last in a banquet.  The lovely dessert to this working lunch was fresh fruit platter.

Later, I shared my gift pack of moon cake to my officemates who never tasted it before and they called it… Hopia nga Social!