NYC Congee Village Restaurants To Make Mooncakes For Mid-Autumn Fest

NEW YORK CITY — To celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival on Saturday, Congee Village restaurants in Manhattan and Queens are offering handmade mooncakes in elegant gift bags with lantern designs, which symbolize lighting the path to good fortune and prosperity.

The Sept. 10 festival, one of the most popular behind the Chinese New Year, has mooncakes as a way to honor the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e and dates back over 3,000 years, according to Congee Village. The tradition is celebrated every 15th day of the 8th month on the Chinese calendar when the moon is brightest and roundest.

Mooncakes, the traditional gift of the festival, will be sold in boxes of four and people will have their choice of fillings, which include lotus seed, winter melon, pineapple and matcha (green tea), according to the restaurant.

"They are a highly decadent and rich pastry consisting of a tender crust with a sweet and dense filling," Ricky Liang, owner of the Congee Dim Sum House, told Patch. "The filling is traditionally lotus seed paste and contains a whole salted egg yolk, which symbolizes a full moon.

"Because mooncakes taste sweet and decadent, but with a balanced finish of saltiness from the egg yolk, they are eaten in small wedges and pair well with a strong cup of black tea.”

People can buy and pick up mooncakes at Congee Village restaurants located in the Lower East Side at 100 Allen St. and 207 Bowery or in Flushing at 36-36 Prince St.

To learn more about mooncakes and Congee Village restaurants visit congeenyc.com/.