The Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is a Chinese harvest festival celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. It is generally celebrated during the last week of September or early October and includes a multitude of colorful cultural celebrations which can also be experienced on Bangkok cruises, such as those offered by Anantara Cruises, Thailand. The Moon Festival is celebrated in Thailand as well, and one of the fascinating features about the celebrations is the culinary delights.

Mooncakes

You can’t celebrate the Moon Festival without making Mooncakes – at least that’s what Thai tradition dictates. Thus, Mooncakes are considered to be one of the main culinary creations during the Moon Festival. Mooncakes are essentially thin-crust pastries wrapped around a sweet filling of sweet bean paste, lotus seed paste, and egg yolk. Although this is how Mooncakes are traditionally made, modern spins on Mooncake include chocolate Mooncakes and many other delicious creations. Almost all stores sell Mooncakes during the Moon Festival, so make sure you try one.

Snails for Brightness, Taro for Luck and Pumpkin for Health

The foods made during the Moon Festival are considered to have some symbolic meaning. For example, river snails cooked in herbs and spices is said to brighten your eyes, while Taro corns are said to bring good luck. Thus, you shouldn’t be too surprised if you find snails and Taro in various snacks and dishes during the Moon Festival. Pumpkin is considered to bring good health during the festival, so pumpkin is quite common during the Moon Festival too.

Duck, Crab, and much more!

Additionally, you can expect to have various dishes of duck and crab, as they are specialty meats during the Moon Festival. Fruits such as watermelon and pears are in abundance during the festivities too, while Osmanthus-flavored cake and wine is the dessert of choice during the Moon Festival.

Auburn Silver is a travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world. Google+