Today is the Chinese Moon Festival, one of my favorite days of the year. The Moon Festival -- or Mid-Autumn Festival, as some call it -- celebrates the autumn harvest and is typically observed when the moon is the fullest.
I'm Chinese on my mother's side, and I always look forward to the traditions surrounding this holiday. Mostly, I love savoring tiny slivers of mooncake -- a dense pastry filled with a sweet filling (I prefer red bean or lotus paste) and a salted dried egg yolk. The dark filling represents the night sky, and the egg yolk represents the moon. The salty-sweet flavor of mooncake is definitely an acquired taste, and one that I've come to love.
