As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, mooncakes with various flavors are becoming increasingly popular. In Taihe County, Fuyang City, Anhui Province, the local specialty agricultural product, Chinese toon, has been incorporated into mooncake fillings. What new taste experience does this cross-border innovation bring?

Walking into the mooncake production facility in Taihe County, Fuyang City, Anhui Province, the air is filled with the sweet aroma of mooncakes and a unique fresh fragrance. Workers are busy mixing fillings that contain not only nuts but also chopped Chinese toon.

After thoroughly mixing all the ingredients, workers wrap the filling with dough, knead it into small balls, and then press them into mooncake molds to form the raw mooncakes. After 30 minutes of baking, golden-brown Chinese toon mooncakes with an enticing aroma are freshly baked.

Chinese toon is a specialty agricultural product of Taihe County. Fresh Chinese toon harvested in spring is dehydrated and preserved, allowing it to be stored for long periods. By the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is used as filling for mooncakes, with its fresh and fragrant flavor being favored by many consumers.

Dendrobium Harvest Adds Innovation to Mooncakes

These days, thousands of acres of dendrobium orchids in Malipo County, Wenshan, Yunnan Province, are entering harvest season. Local ethnic minority communities skillfully combine fresh dendrobium with mooncakes, creating unique flavors.

To make dendrobium mooncakes, fresh dendrobium stems are first washed, chopped, and ground into juice. The freshly squeezed juice is then used to knead the dough. When the light green dough emits a herbal fragrance, the crust can be prepared. Finally, after wrapping fillings such as ham, the mooncakes are ready for the oven. Slowly baked over low heat, these mooncakes feature a crispy outer layer, soft middle layer, and chewy inner layer, making them very popular.

It is noted that the Yao ethnic group has a tradition of enjoying sweet foods and collects dendrobium every year around the Mid-Autumn Festival to make dendrobium mooncakes. Although each family has their own method, the taste is consistently excellent, and dendrobium mooncakes represent the flavor of their hometown.

Layered “Local Mooncakes” Steamed with Rich Mid-Autumn Fl

Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a major harvest celebration with roots in China’s ancient moon worship traditions during the Shang Dynasty. It is traditionally held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month to give thanks for the harvest and to symbolize family unity and reunion. The festival is widely celebrated today with activities such as gathering for meals, eating mooncakes, and lighting lanterns.

Taihe County

Taihe County is a county located in Anhui Province, China, with a history dating back over 2,000 years to the Qin Dynasty. It is renowned for its traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, particularly the “Taihe Baimao” variety, and is recognized as a key national production base for these herbs. The county also preserves cultural heritage, including ancient temples and traditional agricultural practices.

Fuyang City

Fuyang City is a historic city located in Anhui Province, China, situated along the northern bank of the Yangtze River. It has a history dating back over two millennia, once serving as a strategic location during the Spring and Autumn period and the Three Kingdoms era. Today, it is known for its agricultural production and as a center for traditional Chinese cultural heritage.

Anhui Province

Anhui Province in eastern China is renowned for its well-preserved ancient villages, particularly in the Hongcun and Xidi areas, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites showcasing distinctive Huizhou-style architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The region is also famous for the Huangshan (Yellow Mountains), a UNESCO Mixed Heritage site celebrated for its granite peaks, hot springs, and influence on Chinese art and literature. Historically, Anhui was a center of commerce and Confucian culture, with its merchant families contributing to the development of Neo-Confucianism during the Song Dynasty.

Chinese toon

“Chinese toon” refers to the traditional Chinese architectural feature known as the dougong, a system of interlocking wooden brackets. It has been used for over 2,000 years, with its peak development during the Tang and Song dynasties, and is a hallmark of classic Chinese buildings like palaces and temples. The dougong is admired for its structural ingenuity, earthquake resistance, and intricate aesthetic, representing a significant achievement in ancient Chinese carpentry.

Malipo County

Malipo County is a county located in Wenshan Prefecture within China’s Yunnan Province, bordering Vietnam. Historically, it was part of the ancient trade routes and is known for its significant biodiversity and karst landscape. Today, it is recognized for its scenic beauty, including the Malipo Tianbao Port, which facilitates cross-border trade and cultural exchange.

Wenshan

Wenshan is a city in southeastern Yunnan province, China, historically known as the seat of the Gouding Kingdom. It is the heartland of the Miao people and is renowned for its production of high-quality Panax notoginseng, a medicinal herb that has been cultivated in the region for centuries.

Yunnan Province

Yunnan Province is a culturally and geographically diverse region in southwestern China, bordering multiple Southeast Asian countries. Historically, it was part of the Southern Silk Road and was incorporated into the Chinese empire during the Yuan Dynasty. Today, it is renowned for its dramatic landscapes, from the Himalayan mountains to tropical rainforests, and is home to a significant portion of China’s ethnic minority groups.