Family. Festival. Feast. Autumn offers a sense of familial comfort, along with a bountiful harvest. It is a time for family gatherings all over the globe. Chinese celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival. Over 3,000 years old, the Moon Festival is a Chinese tradition celebrated by China and other Asian countries. Celebration is enjoyed on day 15 of the 8th month in Chinese lunar calendar.
Moon and Family
It is believed that during the Mid-Autumn Festival the moon is at its fullest and brightest. The moon, a symbol of an unbroken circle, represents family. Even members who cannot be with their loved ones during this Festival know they can look at the same moon, even thousands of miles apart, and appreciate its beauty and harvest. Along with being unbroken, a full moon represents roundness, a symbol of completeness along with togetherness of a family.
Moon Cakes
Filled with a sweet and dense paste made from mixtures of sweet bean and lotus seeds, mooncakes can also be filled with a nut and seed mixture and taro. These symbolic and scrumptious cakes are not limited to sweet fillings either. Made with meats such as pork and seafood, Abalone moon cakes make for a savoury experience.
Crayfish and cheese mooncakes are an exploding trend during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The new style mooncake has a Suzhou-style pastry crust with shelled crayfish expertly mixed with Chinese thirteen spice mix. Dried shrimp sambal creates a spicy and textured taste to modern mooncakes. Using flash-frozen spot prawns allow the same fresh taste!
Moonlit Crab Walk
Dungeness crab are a less traditional Moon Festival dish but growing among younger generations. Crab, once used in a custom along Tiajin’s coast, held a strong symbol of fortune and wealth during the “crab crawl moon”. Delicious dishes of crab meat are beginning to be shared among families. A taste bud tingling, scallion ginger cantonese crab will surely delight your family with symbols of good fortune.
Signature Duck
There is no secret of the succulent and rich taste of a well cooked duck. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, duck is a traditional dish prepared with regional signatures. Duck with taro (Fujian), salt and bake (Jiangsu), smoked duck (Sichuan), and the Nanjing style of crispy skinned duck are all festive ways to celebrate the festival.
Steamed Fish
The significance of a whole fish is a Chinese tradition that spans many festivals and celebrations. Representing wealth and good fortune, the steamed whole fish is a delicacy that uses the freshness of the fish to enhance its natural flavours. The secret to cooking a perfectly steamed fish starts with the availability of fresh fish. Selecting fresh wild caught fish can seem overwhelming. This does not have to be the case when you work with your local fish markets.
The Takeaway
Here, at BC Live Spot Prawns & Seafood, our goal is to supply your family with fresh and sustainably wild caught seafood. Traditions and family celebrations are times of fortune and happiness, and should not be dimmed by the stressors of finding fresh products. Our wild caught seafood will give any family gathering the trusted taste of home.
