Here are a few simple recipes we can cook up at home to celebrate Mid-Autumn this year!
But First – What is the Mid-Autumn Festival?
Mid-Autumn Festival is observed in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. The Lunar event is recognized as the Harvest Moon, lighting up the night sky for the farmers who are harvesting.
The Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates many traditions including family reunions, special foods, mooncakes, and lanterns. Its purpose is to honor the hard work that has been done over the last year. The full moon is considered a symbol of reunion, which is why families from all over gather to celebrate.
A Mid-Autumn Festival Feast at Home
Being able to cook traditional food for the Mid-Autumn Festival is all part of the experience. Here are a few recipes to try with your family at home this year.
Autumn Mushrooms and Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 3 1/2 ounces fresh chestnuts, peeled (about 1 cup)
- 9 ounces assorted fresh mushrooms (such as button, shiitake, or enoki), sliced (about 1 1/2 quarts)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2-inch knob ginger, peeled and finely sliced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 2 scallions, white parts only, finely sliced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- Kosher salt
- Steamed rice for serving
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water and set aside. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
- Cook chestnuts in boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with a strainer, drain, and set aside. Add mushrooms to boiling water, cook for 1 minute. Remove with a strainer, drain, and set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat until shimmering. Add ginger, garlic, and scallions, and cook, stirring, over until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chestnuts and continue stirring for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and stir for 1 additional minute.
- Increase heat to high. Add dark and light soy sauces, stirring to combine. Add cornflour and water mixture and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and coats the mushrooms and chestnuts, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in sesame oil, season to taste with salt if necessary, and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Shanghai Sticky Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds pork belly, skin on, in a single piece
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 inch knob ginger, peeled and finely sliced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely sliced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 2 scallions, white part only, finely sliced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 2-star anise pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- Steamed rice for serving
Directions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add pork belly and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Slice belly into 1-inch cubes.
- Heat oil in a wok over medium heat until the oil starts to shimmer, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and stir until the mixture begins to caramelize about 1 minute.
- Increase heat to high. Add ginger, garlic, and scallions, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add star anise and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add pork cubes, stirring until the meat is well-coated in caramel. Add soy sauce and Shaoxing wine and stir to combine.
- Add enough water to cover the pork and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened and is dark brown and glossy. If liquid begins to dry out, add enough water to cover the meat and continue simmering. If the sauce appears thin and diluted, remove pork after 2 hours and reduce the sauce to desired consistency before returning pork to wok to gently reheat.
- Serve pork with sauce, accompanied by steamed rice.
Stir-Fried Bok Choy
Ingredients
- 4 medium heads bok choy (about 2 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 inch knob ginger, peeled and finely sliced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 scallions, white parts only, finely sliced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
- Rinse bok choy and cut each head in half lengthwise.
- Heat oil in a wok over medium heat until oil simmering. Add ginger, garlic, and scallion, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Increase heat to high. Add bok choy and stir fry until outer leaves have wilted (about 1 minute.) Add sugar and season to taste with salt and cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute. Remove from heat, add sesame oil, season to taste with more salt, and serve.
Don’t Forget the Mooncakes!
As you’re planning your Mid-Autumn Festival feast, don’t forget the most traditional treat of the season: the mooncake! The mooncakes represent a full moon and symbolize togetherness and unity. Just as the mooncake comes together in a circle and is connected, so does our family – near and far – during the Autumn Festival.
Don’t forget to pick up your authentic mooncakes from Honey Bakery in Long Beach to complete the celebration with your family!
