365 Days of Happiness

Interesting facts about Vietnam

• The official name of the country is Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
• The capital city is Hanoi while the currency is Dong.
• The official language is Vietnamese while the major religion followed is Buddhism.
• People in Vietnam have potbelly pigs
• Vietnam has a life expectancy of 72 years.
• Literacy rate in Vietnam is 94 per cent.
• Vietnam stretches 1,600 kilometers north to south, but is only about 40 kilometers wide at its narrowest point near the country’s center.
• In Vietnamese schools, instead of bells, gongs are used to call children.
• Ha Long Bay is considered to be the most beautiful vista in entire Vietnam. It consists of 1,969 islands and islets situated in the Gulf of Tonkin. This zone is known for its spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Ha Long Bay has been recognized as a World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO.
• Vietnam is famous for its bio-diversity and has the world’s six biosphere reserves.
• Vietnam has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the Third World.
• Vietnam is one of the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
• Another World Heritage Site in Vietnam is the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
• Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu was ranked as one of most elegant women of the 20th century.

Fun facts about China

• Ice cream was invented in China around  2000BC when the Chinese packed a soft milk and rice mixture in the snow.
• China is the fourth largest country in the world.   China is sometimes a day ahead of the United States.
• The Chinese year is based on the cycles of the moon.   This is called a lunar schedule.  A complete cycle of  the Chinese calendar takes 60 years.  The Chinese calendar dates back to  2600 B.C.  It is the oldest known calendar.
• When a Chinese child loses a baby tooth, it doesn’t get tucked under the pillow for the tooth fairy.  If the child loses an upper tooth, the child’s parents plant the tooth in the ground, so the new tooth will grow in straight and healthy.  Parents toss a lost bottom tooth up to the rooftops, so that the new tooth will grow upwards , too.
• It is considered good luck for the gate to a house to face south.
• We know that the Chinese grew rice as long as 5000 BC Archaeologists have found rice grains in farming tools and pots from that period.
• Long ago, silk making was a closely guarded secret.   Anyone who gave the secret away could be killed.
• At one time, Chinese patriots hoped to rid themselves of hated foreign conquerors.  To announce the time of an uprising, the patriots hid messages in moon cakes.
• Red is considered a lucky color in China.  At one time wedding dresses were red.  New Year’s banners, clothing, and lucky money envelopes are still red.
• Fourth graders are expected to know 2,000 of the over 40,000 written Chinese characters.  By the time they leave college, they will know 4,000 or 5,000 characters.  Each character is learned by looking at it and memorizing it. Unlike the 26 letters of our alphabet, words cannot be sounded out letter by letter.

Pho and Pho pictures

Pho includes noodles made from rice and is often served with basil, lime, bean sprouts and peppers  that are added to the soup by the consumer.

Phở is served in a bowl with a specific cut of white rice noodles (called bánh phở’) in clear beef broth, with thin cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations feature tendon, tripe, meatballs, chicken  leg, chicken breast, or other chicken organs. “With the lot” (made with chicken broth and all or most of the shop’s chicken and cattle offerings, including chicken hearts and livers and beef tripe and tendons) is known as phở đặc biệt (specialty phở).[2]

The broth is generally made by simmering beef (and sometimes chicken) bones, oxtails, flank steak, charred onion, and spices, taking several hours to prepare. Seasonings can include Saigon cinnamon or other kinds of cinnamon as alternatives (may use stick or powder), star anise, roasted ginger, black cardamom, coriander  seed, fennel  seed and clove.

Vietnamese dishes are meals typically served with lots of greens, herbs, vegetables and various other accompaniments such as dipping sauces, hot and spicy pastes, and flavor enhancements such as a squeeze of lime or lemon. The dish is garnished with ingredients such as green onions, white onions, coriander, Thai basil (húng quế) (should not be confused with sweet basil – Vietnamese: húng chó or húng dổi), fresh Thai chili peppers, lemon or lime wedges, bean sprouts, and cilantro (ngò rí) or culantro (ngò gai). Although cilantro and culantro have similar names and similar flavors, they are completely different plants.

Several ingredients do not come with phở’ but can be ordered by request. Extra beef fat in broth or nuoc beo can be ordered and comes with scallions to sweeten it. A popular side dish ordered upon request is hanh dam, or vinegared white onions.

Source: Wikipedia

Pho’s recip

-from the Food Network

Ingredients

For the broth:

• 4 pounds Oxtails; cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces and trimmed of fat
• 3-inch piece of ginger, unpeeled
• 1 large onion, halved and unpeeled
• 1/3 cup nuoc mam (fish sauce)
• 8 whole star anise
• 5 whole cloves
• 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3 bay leaves

For the garnish:

• 1 pound 1/4-inch rice noodles
• 2 bunches scallions, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup basil, approximately, whole fresh plants (minus roots) if possible
• 1 1/2 cups mung bean sprouts
• 3 large limes, cut into wedges and seeds removed
• Red chile paste or sliced fresh hot chilies (optional)
• 3/4 pounds filet mignon, trimmed of fat and sliced very thin

Directions

Put the oxtails into a large stockpot and add enough water to cover the bones by 4 inches (about 2 gallons). Bring to a full boil and then lower the heat to a rapid simmer. Skim the scum that rises to the surface.

Meanwhile put the ginger and onion halves on a baking sheet and char them under the broiler until lightly blackened, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn them over halfway through cooking. When cool enough to handle, rinse the onion and ginger under running water, using a knife to scrape away some of the charred surface. Cut the ginger into 3 pieces and toss it and the onion halves into the simmering broth, along with 1 tablespoon salt and the fish sauce.

Put the star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a small skillet and toast them on top of a stove burner over medium heat. Turn the spices a couple of times until they’re slightly darkened (3 to 4 minutes) and until you smell their aroma. Put the toasted spices and fennel seeds in a small square of double thick cheesecloth and tie the bundle with a long piece of kitchen twine. Add the spice bundle and the bay leaves to the broth, tying the end of the twine to the pot handle for easy retrieval.

Let the broth simmer, uncovered, skimming occasionally. After 4 hours, remove the spice bundle, onion, bay leaves and ginger from the pot and discard. Remove the oxtails from the pot and set aside. Let the broth continue to simmer. When the meat is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones. Set the meat aside and return the bones to the broth. Continue simmering, uncovered, until the broth is rich and flavorful, about 1 hour. Taste the broth and add more salt or fish sauce as needed.

Meanwhile, soak the rice noodles in cold water for at least 20 minutes. Arrange the sliced scallions, cilantro, parsley, basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chiles on a platter in separate piles.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the drained rice noodles. Give the noodles a quick stir and cook until tender but firm, about 1 minute. Rice noodles can quickly become gummy, so don’t let them overcook. Drain the noodles. Warm 6 large bowls by rinsing them with hot water and divide the noodles among the bowls.

Just before serving, return the broth to a full boil. Arrange the slices of raw filet and pieces of cooked oxtail meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle the boiling broth over all; the raw beef should be submerged in the broth. Serve immediately, along with the platters of garnish.

2012

Since the new millennium, we have experienced the natural disasters of our mother nature such as, Katrina (2005), Tsunami (2005), China Earthquake (2008), and many Tornadoes happening even in places which we don’t normally get.

So what’s the reason behind this? What do they have in common? It’s because we are getting closer to the End of Time (Doomsday), there will be many more natural disasters to come and etc. To some 2012 will bring the End of Time, and others it will be a start of a new beginning. Up until today, we had been living in an age of Pieces, each of these ages last up to 2000+ years, but the age of Pieces will end on 2012 as we will enter the Age of Aquarius.

According to the Mayan calendar and their accurate system of keeping time and astrological events, their calendar stops working on December 21, 2012. Their amazing calendar left behind the movements of the planets and stars without using any instruments. It started with the Earth from August 11, 3114 BC, to December 21, 2012. This amazing 5000 year calendar was giving to the Mayan from their god, Quezecoatal.

If you are thinking, why should you trust the Mayan? Most of all the prophecies theories and myths had failed to its words. Yes there are many prophecies about “end of the world”, “apocalypse” “Armageddon” and etc…. for examples below…

1. The Shakers believed the world would end in 1792 : FAILED
2. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have se the end dates from 1914-1994 : FAILED
3. The Philippines, believed the world would end on Dec. 31, 1999. : FAILED

So why should be believe the Mayan? According to scientists and experts, the ancient Maya “calendar priests” charted a 26,000-year astronomical cycle, called precession of the equinoxes, with their own NAKED EYES. According to their calendar 2012 end date coincides with the “galactic alignment” of the winter solstice sun and the axis that modern astronomers draw to bisect the Galaxy (the milky way), called the Galactic Equator. This means on December 21, 2012 anyone looking at the sun will also be looking toward the core of the Milky Way.

Many of the studies and observation about the year 2012 has been proved to be coinciding with the Book of Revelations. Now, we now are to believe that the world will end on the year 2012, but how?

Here are some possibilities:

Mother Nature – It’s already happening, earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic reaction, hurricanes, floods, tsunami all happened in 2000-2008. As we are getting closer to 2012, I’m sure there will be plenty more of these and in places where it doesn’t usually happen.

Astrological Phenomenon – Yup, this one should be the #1 possibility that our world will come to an end. According to the Book of Revelation, the Mayan Calendar and NASA, our earth will be hit by a comet/asteroid. In 2004, NASA discovered the 10th planet, which they called Planet “X” (a comet planet). This is a massive comet planet that will bypass earth every 3600 years, coming through the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars.

We have heard many stories either from myths, prophecies, and the bible about “A day of 24 hours, when the earth stood still” (longest day ever). Well, what do you know? This could all make sense since and could have been caused by the passing of the Comet Planet. Its gravitational pull could have reversed the spins on the Earth on its axis, creating a 24 hour day. Also, if we take the Mayan calendar year of 2012 AD and subtract 3600 years (orbit of comet planet) we get 1588 BC, around the time of Joshua and the “day earth stood still”.

All in all, 1 thing we know FOR SURE, is that in the year 2012, there will be MANY astrological phenomenon.

NOSTRDAMUS – “In the year 1999 and seven months, The Great King of Terror shall come from the sky”. Now there will be many people who are wondering about this now. Could he predict something that could happen 2x? Meaning 9.11 was 1 and the other one could be the comet coming in 2012? Also, his other prediction, “a cataclysmic event will occur in the year 2012 around Nov-Dec. And it is interesting to note that NASA also has a solar event or solar storm that will occur around December 2012, go to their website: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/10…tormwarning.htm

Conclusion:

Keep in mind, not only the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012 but the Bible Code, I-Ching, Nostrodamus, Hebrew writings and more all say the same thing about 2012 and the astrological phenomenon. If you believe in this, this means, you will only have 4 years left to live lol…. So what will it be? Keep observing our world as of today, with current Warfare and Natural Disasters, no wonder we are getting close to Doomsday!

Whether the world is going to end or not on that day, we will surely experience many changes. Could this be a start of a new era and a new beginning? Only the Dinosaurs have the real answer to this!!!

Happy New Year 2010

Besh wishes for the new year!

President Barrack Obama visit China

SHANGHAI – President Barack Obama is walking a tightrope on his first trip to China, seeking to enlist help in tackling urgent global problems while weighing when and how — or if — he should raise traditional human rights concerns.

Obama arrived in Shanghai late at night, in a driving rain, hustling through a phalanx of umbrella-holding dignitaries to reach his limousine. On Monday, the president is holding talks with local politicians and, in one of the marquee events of his weeklong Asian trip, conducting an American-style town hall discussion with Chinese university students.

Thirty years after the start of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the ties are growing — but remain mixed on virtually every front.

The two nations are partnering more than ever on battling global warming, but they still differ deeply over hard targets for reductions in the greenhouse-gas emissions that cause it. China has supported sterner sanctions to halt North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, but it still balks at getting more aggressive about reining in Iran’s uranium enrichment.

Giant trade deficit with U.S.
China is a huge and lucrative market for American goods and services, and yet it has a giant trade deficit with the U.S. that, like a raft of other economic issues, is a bone of contention between the two governments. The two militaries have increased their contacts, but clashes still happen and the U.S. remains worried about a dramatic buildup in what is already the largest standing army in the world.

Amid all that, Obama has adopted a pragmatic approach that stresses the positive, sometimes earning him criticism for being too soft on Beijing, particularly in the area of human rights abuses and what the U.S. regards as an undervalued Chinese currency that disadvantages U.S. products.

Obama recognizes that a rising China, as the world’s third-largest economy on the way to becoming the second and the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt, has shifted the dynamic more toward one of equals. For instance, Chinese questions about how Washington spending policies will affect the already soaring U.S. deficit and the safety of Chinese investments now must be answered by Washington.

Second, Obama wants not to anger Beijing, but to encourage it to pair its growing economic and political clout with greater leadership in solving some of the most urgent global problems, including a sagging economy, warming planet and the spread of dangerous weapons.

Obama has talked warmly toward China, particularly in the days leading up to his visit.

“The United States does not seek to contain China,” Obama said in a speech from Tokyo on Saturday. “On the contrary, the rise of a strong, prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations.”

Human rights concerns
One test of the line Obama is walking on China will be human rights, including religious freedom in the officially atheist nation. Aides said in advance that Obama would raise several human rights issues privately with Chinese leaders, including President Hu Jintao.

But it was unlikely he would repeat those messages too stridently in public, out of concern for angering his hosts. Even before arriving in China, for example, he declined to get specific about human rights concerns with China in his Tokyo speech and eschewed the traditional presidential meeting with the Dalai Lama while he was in Washington in June.

Obama said he would see the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader later, a decision welcomed by Chinese officials who pressure foreign governments not to meet with the Dalai Lama and spurn Tibetans’ desires for autonomy from Chinese rule.

The White House hoped Monday’s town hall meeting with Chinese university students would allow Obama to telegraph U.S. values — through its successes and failures — to the widest Chinese audience possible.

But those hopes will have their limits in communist-ruled, tightly controlled China. The particulars of the town hall, including whether it could even be called one, were the subject of delicate negotiations between the White House and the Chinese up to the last minute. It remained unclear, for instance, whether — and how broadly — it would be broadcast on television and how much of a hand the central government had in choosing those allowed to question the U.S. president.

Will visit noted landmarks
Obama deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Obama would call at random on several of those in the audience, to be made up of hundreds of students hand-picked by the department heads of Shanghai-area universities, and would also answer questions solicited in advance by the White House from “various sources on the Internet.”

Even if the event is only aired on China’s main English-language TV channel, which has very few viewers, the White House will stream the conversation live on http://www.whitehouse.gov, an unblocked site in China.

From Shanghai, Obama was to be off to the capital of Beijing for the pomp and substance of a two-day state visit hosted for Obama by Hu.

Obama’s China visit features the only sightseeing of his high-intensity Asian journey. He will visit the Forbidden City, home of former emperors in Beijing, and the centuries-old Great Wall outside of the city. Visiting a country’s noted landmarks is considered a sign of respect in the world of diplomacy. But Obama aides also have learned that finding some tourist time serves to both calm and energize their boss amid the always grueling schedule of a foreign trip.

President and Asian niece

This is a cute picture.

Tet Trung Thu

In Vietnam, Têt-Trung-Thu (tet-troong-thoo) or the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most popular family holidays. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.

Vietnamese families plan their activities around their children on this special day. In a Vietnamese folklore, parents were working so hard to prepare for the harvest that they left the children playing by themselves. To make up for lost time, parents would use the Mid-Autumn festival as an opportunity to show their love and appreciation for their children.

Appropriately, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Children’s Festival. In the United States, this tradition continues in many Vietnamese-American communities. Trung-Thu activities are often centered around children and education. Parents buy lanterns for their children so that they can participate in a candlelit lantern procession at dawn. Lanterns represent brightness while the procession symbolizes success in school. Vietnamese markets sell a variety of lanterns, but the most popular children’s lantern is the star lantern. Other children’s activities include arts and crafts in which children make face masks and lanterns. Children also perform traditional Vietnamese dances for adults and participate in contests for prizes and scholarships. Unicorn dancers are also very popular in Trung-Thu festivities.

Like the Chinese, Vietnamese parents tell their children fairy tales and serve mooncakes and other special treats under the silvery moon. A favorite folklore is about a carp that wanted to become a dragon. The carp worked and worked and eventually transformed itself into a dragon. This is the story behind the mythical symbol, Cá hóa Rông. Parents use this story to encourage their children to work hard so that they can become whatever they want to be.

There’s also a story about how the Moon Lady ascended to the moon. A man named Chu Coi found a lucky tree that had special healing powers. Because this tree was sacred, people were forbidden to urinate at the foot of this tree. Unfortunately, Chu Coi’s wife, Chi Hang forgot the rule and urinated on the tree. On day, while she was sitting on the tree’s branch, the tree started to grow and grow. Eventually, it reached the moon, Since then, Chi Hang lived on the moon for the rest of her life as a punishment for desecrating the sacred tree.

Banh Trung Thu recipe

Giai đoạn 1:

Đây là giai đoạn ko kém phần quan trọng để làm bánh thành công , và cũng có thể nói đây cũng là bí quyết để làm thành công bánh trung thu.

1 kg đường cát
1 kg nước lã
4 muỗng cà phê nước cốt chanh
2 muỗng cà phê nước tro tàu.

Cho nước tro tàu và 2 muỗng cà phê nước lã vào cái chén quậy cho đều.
Cho đường và nước vào soong quậy tan, bắt lên bếp nấu lửa to chừng 25 phút, rồi cho nước cốt chanh vào rồi nấu tiếp 15 phút nữa mới cho chén hổn hợp nước tro tàu & nước vào. Để cho nước đường sôi đều lên và để nước đường rút laị chỉ còn 1kg4 là được ( ko tính lượng của cái soong ). Nhắc xuống để nguội , rồi đổ vào 1 cái hủ bằng thủy tinh sạch để ở chổ thoáng mát cất từ 1 tuần đến 1-2 năm ( ko cần để tủ lạnh ) mới đem ra xài. Đây là bí quyết để làm bánh trung thu thành công.

Trong khi nấu nước đường, ko nên quậy.

Với lượng nước đường này làm được 30 cái bánh 250gr.

Giai đoạn 2:

* Vỏ bánh : cho 12 bánh cỡ 250 grs / bánh

550grs bột mì (All purpose Flour)
1 muỗng cà phê nước tro tàu
440 grs nước đường
80 grs dầu ăn
1 tsp cà phê mật ong
2 tsp cà phê rượu thơm (Hennessy)

Rửa tay thật sạch.

Bỏ nước đường vào thau, cho nước tro tàu, rượu thơm, mật ong vào quậy đều. Cho bột vào , dùng tay nhồi cho kỹ mịn (or standmixer)

Để bột ở trạng thái vừa nhảo, để bột nghỉ 45 phút , khi nào bột ở trạng thái ko dính nữa là được.

Bột sau khi ủ, đem cân chia 90 g mỗi phần rồi dùng dầu veggie (or Canola) thoa vào tay rồi vo tròn lại.

Chú ý : Bột ko nên nghỉ lâu quá để tránh tình trạng bị dai, khô , nứt

* Nhân :

Tùy sở thích của mọi người mà làm , có thể làm trước 1-2 ngày

Thịt gà ướp dầu mè dầu hào đường tiêu nướng để nguội
4 cái lạp xưởng luộc xong đem chiên sơ rồi cắt hột lựu
100 gr Mứt bí
100 gr mứt khoai lang
30 gr Trần bì (vỏ quít)
30 gr mứt tắc
30 gr mứt gừng
50 gr Mè rang
100 gr Hạt hướng dương
50 gr Hạt điều
50 gr Pencan
50 gr Almond
Chà bông cắt nhuyễn (Trà không có xá xíu nên chơi chà bông … hihihi)

Xong trộn tất cả lại cho 100gr bột bánh dẽo vô thau nhân

Nước đường nấu theo phân lượng : 500gr đường + 450gr nước. Nếu không thích ngọt thì xài corn syrup thế cho nước đường, để nguội rồi rưới vô từ từ trộn nhân tới khi nhân dẻo là được .

Cho 2 muỗng cà fê rượu ngon (Hennessy) trộn lên xong đem sên nhân, sên 1 đổi thì để thiệt nguội qua ngày sau mơi đóng bánh .

Trứng lấy lòng đỏ ngâm rượu với miếng gừng khoãng ngón tay cái, đem đập dập rồi cho chút nước, vắt bỏ cái, khoãng 20 phút, xong cho vô cái dĩa trét dầu & chút đường rồi đậy lại đem hấp 10 phút .

Nhận bánh bằng dầu, không dùng bột sẽ làm cho vỏ bánh moist không bị khô .

Tính 1 phần bột thì 2 phần nhân vo tròn . Nếu đóng bánh khuôn vuông thì nhận cục nhân vô khuôn, ép thiệt chặt cho có hình vuông .

Lấy bột vỏ đè bẹp ở dạng hình tròn cán mỏng để viên nhân đã vo tròn vô chính giữa, dùng tay xoay tròn, vừa xoay vừa kéo bột lên bao quanh phần nhân.

Thoa dầu vào khuôn rồi nhận bánh, dùng tay đè, ấn đều lên mặt.

Nhận bánh khuôn vuông thì xếp bột lên 4 thành bánh, rứt fần dư phủ lên trên mặt bánh, nhận chặt xuống khuôn .

Khi lấy bánh ra xếp lên vĩ nướng đã thoa dầu sẵn, lấy kim đâm mặt bánh để khi nướng bánh không bị nứt

Hâm nóng sẳn lò nướng trước 10 phút @ 375F

Đem nướng ở tầng dưới ở 350-375F (tuỳ theo độ nóng của lò, set khoãng 10 phút rồi coi bánh vàng tới độ nào mà chỉnh nhiệt độ lò cho thích hợp, coi chừng cháy đáy bánh)

Nướng khoãng 10 phút lấy bánh ra để nguội khoãng 5 phút rồi lấy bình xịt nước tắm từng cái bánh, xịt thiệt nhiều nước cho bánh mềm .

Chờ bánh khô ráo nươ’c thì cho vào lò nướng ở tầng giữa 10 phút .

Bánh vừa vàng tới thì lấy bánh ra chờ nguội 1 chút thì làm áo bánh

*** Hổn hợp phết mặt bánh : 1 trứng gà + 1 lòng đỏ hột vịt đánh cho thật tơi, chế chút nước màu vào để cho trứng có màu hơi nâu, xong lượt qua cái rây khít .

*Dùng cọ phết trứng chầm chậm trên mặt, tránh phất qua phất lại, trứng sẽ sủi bọt, sẽ ko đẹp. Và ko nên phết dày trứng quá, nướng khó chín, phết mỏng quá, bánh sẽ ko có màu đẹp.

Đem nướng 10 phút nữa, lấy ra phết thêm lớp dầu rồi nướng 10 phút .

Kéo vĩ bánh ra ngoài 1 chút, mở oven hờ hờ rồi để vậy cho tới khi bánh nguội thì mới đem bánh ra ngoài hẵn . Wrap từng cái bánh lại để 2 ngày thì bánh tươm dầu ra vỏ mềm ăn mới được ngon .

Moon cake

Mooncakes are Chinese pastries traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; moon cakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival, one of the three most important Chinese festivals.

Typical mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm thick. A thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste is surrounded by a relatively thin (2-3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. Mooncakes are rich, heavy, and dense compared with most Western cakes and pastries. They are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea.

Most mooncakes consist of a thin tender skin enveloping a sweet, dense filling. The mooncake may contain one or more whole salted egg yolks in its center to symbolize the full moon. Very rarely, mooncakes are also served steamed or fried.

Traditional mooncakes have an imprint on top consisting of the Chinese characters for “longevity” or “harmony” as well as the name of the bakery and the filling in the moon cake. Imprints of the moon, the Chang’e woman on the moon, flowers, vines, or a rabbit (symbol of the moon) may surround the characters for additional decoration.

Mooncakes are considered a delicacy; production is labor-intensive and few people make them at home. Most mooncakes are bought at Asian markets and bakeries. The price of mooncakes usually ranges from $10 to $50 (in US dollars) for a box of four although cheaper and more expensive mooncakes can also be found.

Fillings

Many types of fillings can be found in traditional mooncakes according to the region’s culture:

• Lotus seed paste (蓮蓉, lían róng): Considered by some to be the original and most luxurious mooncake filling, lotus paste filling is found in all types of mooncakes. Due to the high price of lotus paste, white kidney bean paste is sometimes used as a filler.
• Sweet bean paste (豆沙, dòu shā): A number of pastes are common fillings found in Chinese desserts. Although red bean paste, made from azuki beans, is the most common worldwide, there are regional and original preferences for bean paste made from Mung bean as well as black bean known throughout history.
• Jujube paste (棗泥, zǎo ní): A sweet paste made from the ripe fruits of the jujube (date) plant. The paste is dark red in colour, a little fruity/smoky in flavour and slightly sour in taste. Depending on the quality of the paste, jujube paste may be confused with red bean paste, which is sometimes used as a filler.
• Five kernel (五仁, wǔ rén): A filling consisting of 5 types of nuts and seeds, coarsely chopped and held together with maltose syrup. Commonly used nuts and seeds include: walnuts, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, peanuts, sesame, or almonds. In addition, the mixture will usually contain candied winter melon, jinhua ham, or pieces of rock sugar as additional flavouring.
• Taro Paste (芋泥, yù ní): A sweet paste made from taro, a tuber grown in many part of tropical Asia. The colour of the paste in the mooncake is purple and is most commonly used in Teochew crusty mooncakes.
• Salt and pepper (椒鹽, jiāoyán): Filling made from roasted black sesame. Commonly found in flaky Suzhou-style mooncakes.
• Durian: Filling commonly found in South East Asia (mainly Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore) made of mashed durian paste.

Traditional mooncake vary widely depending on the region where the mooncake is produced. While most regions produce traditional mooncakes with many types of fillings, they usually only make their mooncake from one type of crust or another. Although vegetarian mooncakes may use vegetable oil, many mooncakes use lard in their recipes for a better taste. There are three types of mooncake crust used in Chinese cuisine:

• Chewy: This crust has a reddish-brown tone and glossy sheen. It is the most common type of crust used on Cantonese-style mooncakes. It is also the most commonly seen type of mooncake in North America and many western countries. Chewy mooncake crusts are made using a combination of thick sugar syrup, lye water, flour, and oil, thus giving this crust its rich taste and a chewy yet tender texture. Chewiness can be increased further by adding maltose syrup to the mixture.
• The dough is also baked into fish or piglet shapes (Cantonese: “Jue Zai Bang”; 豬仔餅; lit. “Piglet Biscuits”) and sold at mooncake bakeries as a chewy snack. They often come individually packaged in small plastic baskets, to symbolize fish being caught or piglets being bound for sale.
• Flaky: Flaky crusts are most indicative of Suzhou-style mooncakes. The dough is made by rolling together alternating layers of oily dough and flour that has been stir-fried in oil. This crust has a very similar texture to the likes of puff pastry.
• Tender: Mooncakes from certain provinces of China and Taiwan are often made to be tender rather than flaky or chewy. The texture of this type of mooncake crust is similar to the likes of the shortcrust pastry used in Western pie crusts or tart shells. Tender crusts are made mainly of a homogenous mix of sugar, oil, flour, and water. This type of crust is also commonly used in other type of Chinese pastries, such as the egg tart.

Taiwan

The most traditional mooncake from Taiwan is filled with yam[citation needed].Taiwanese moon cakes are wide in variety that include low fat, lard free and ice cream versions. Popular modern flavors include green tea, chocolate and many others.
[edit] Indonesia

In Indonesia, there are hundreds of types of moon cakes, from the traditional to the modern mooncakes. The very traditional mooncake has been there ever since the Chinese and Japanese entered Indonesia, they are circular like a moon, white and rather thin. Fillings may include chocolate, cheese, milk, durian, jackfruit and many other exotic fruits, however before 1998 it was only sold in small markets or villages. Now the traditional moon cake is easy to find in supermarkets and mini marts, rather than the modern mooncakes.

The “modern” mooncakes finally entered Indonesia after 1998.

Indonesian Chinese traditionally celebrate the Mooncake Festival with a dragon dance at full moon, placing a bowl of water in the open sky at the middle of the night, waiting until the moon reflects on the water, then washing their face with the water and eating the mooncakes. They believe it makes their face and charisma as bright as the moon.
[edit] Japan

In Japan, mooncakes are sold year-round, mainly in Japan’s Chinatowns, pronounced in Japanese as “geppei”. Azuki (Red Bean) paste is the most popular filling for these mooncakes, but other sorts of beans as well as chestnut are also used. Unlike some types of Chinese mooncakes, mooncakes in Japan almost never contain an egg yolk in the centre.
[edit] Vietnam

In Vietnam, mooncakes are known as bánh trung thu (literally “Mid-Autumn cake”) and may contain a variety of fillings, such as savory roasted chicken, mung beans, coconut or durian.

Source: Wikipedia