Mooncakes Were Once Made Only for the Mid-Autumn FestivalThe salted duck egg yolk stands for the full moon

Mooncakes are sold all year now, but they were originally a special sweet made only around the Mid-Autumn Festival.

A day to celebrate the full moon

The 15th day of the eighth lunar month is the Mid-Autumn Festival, when people admire the full moon and celebrate the harvest. In China it is a public holiday and one of the three major festivals, with Lunar New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival. Married daughters return to their parents’ homes and families eat together, so it is also called the Festival of Reunion. The full moon, round and unbroken, stands for harmony.

A sweet for the festival

Mooncakes can be bought all year now, but they were originally eaten only around the festival. In Yokohama Chinatown, limited-edition Mid-Autumn mooncakes appear in shops as the festival approaches, and each shop’s version is different.

The yolk is the moon

The classic Mid-Autumn mooncake contains a whole salted duck egg yolk inside the paste. When you cut it, a round yellow yolk appears like the full moon. The paste is usually made from lotus seeds rather than the red beans used in Japanese sweets; it is smoother and less sweet.

How mooncakes are made

In Chinatown workshops, mooncakes are still made by hand, one at a time.

1. Wrap the salted yolk in lotus seed paste
2. Wrap the paste in a dough of flour, kansui and sugar
3. Press it into a wooden mold to add the pattern
4. Bake once, brush with egg for shine, and bake again

The date moves every year

Because the festival follows the lunar calendar, its Western date changes each year. In 2026 it was September 25; in 2027 it falls on September 15. The season for Mid-Autumn mooncakes shifts with it.