“中秋”的來歷？為什麽要吃月餅？
相傳我國古代，帝王就有春天祭日、秋天祭月的禮制。在民間，每逢八月中秋，也有左右拜月或祭月的風俗。“八月十五月兒圓，中秋月餅香又甜”，這句名諺道出中秋之夜城鄉人民吃月餅的習俗。月餅最初是用來祭奉月神的祭品，後來人們逐漸把中秋賞月與品嘗月餅，作為家人團圓的象征，慢慢月餅也就成了節日的禮品。
月餅，最初起源於唐朝軍隊祝捷食品。唐高祖年間，大將軍李靖征討匈奴得勝，八月十五凱旋而歸。
當時有人經商的吐魯番人向唐朝皇帝獻餅祝捷。高祖李淵接過華麗的餅盒，拿出圓餅，笑指空中明月說：“應將胡餅邀蟾蜍”。說完把餅分給群臣壹起吃。
南宋吳自牧的《夢梁錄》壹書，已有“月餅”壹詞，但對中秋嘗月，吃月餅的描述，是明代的《西湖遊覽誌會》才有記載：“八月十五日謂之中秋，民間以月餅相遺，取團圓之義”。到了清代，關於月餅的記載就多起來了，而且制作越來越精細。
月餅發展到今日，品種更加繁多，風味因地各異。其中京式、蘇式、廣式、潮式等月餅廣為我國南北各地的人們所喜食。
月餅象征著團圓，是中秋佳節必食之品。在節日之夜，人們還愛吃些西瓜、水果等團圓的果品，祈祝家人生活美滿、甜蜜、平安。
最初，月餅叫太師餅，後來，又加上了芝麻和核桃做餡，就叫它胡餅，妳知道為什麽叫胡餅嗎？因為芝麻和核桃是從胡人那裏運來的，所以叫胡餅。
有壹年，唐明皇和楊貴妃在宮中過中秋節，壹邊吃著胡餅壹邊賞月，唐明皇說：“胡餅這個名不好聽，再起個別的名吧。”楊貴妃看看月亮，不由自主地說：“那叫月餅吧。”唐明皇說：“好好，太好了。”
從此，“月餅”這個名字就流傳到現在。
現在月有哈蜜瓜味、草莓味、蘋果味等等，大家聽了我的介紹，妳饞了嗎？
廣式月餅的制作
1.分皮
將已搓好的月餅皮按斤兩規格分好每個月餅的餅皮.
2.分餡
把要制作月餅品種的餡料按量分別稱好，要熟悉各種餡料配方和做法.如單黃蓮蓉，在中間加壹只蛋黃；雙黃或三黃、蓮蓉，則要把蓮蓉分成兩份或三份，每份蓮蓉再包入壹個蛋黃，以二合壹或三合壹的方法包成壹個餅坯.五仁類餡料要捏實、捏圓滑，但餡料不能捏得過久，否則會滲油、離殼.每壹種餡料要在轉換過程中標明品種，由於包好餅皮的餅坯，辨認不出其餡料容易造成混亂.
3．包餡
把餅皮分別包裹已稱量好的餅坯，包時餅皮要壓得平正，合口處要圓滑均勻.
4．成型
把包好的餅坯放進木模中輕輕用手壓實，壓平.壓時力度要均衡，使餅的棱角分明，花紋清晰.再把餅拿到案板邊上將餅坯拍出，脫模時要註意餅型的平整，不應歪斜.
5．加溫
先噴請水入爐，爐溫200~220℃，如用熱旋風烘爐，爐溫298℃（時間14分鐘左右），盤裏的餅烘至餅皮轉米白色或微有金黃色時才可以抽出，在餅面上塗刷蛋漿，再放回爐內烘至熟透.
英文版
●Place: Air’s villa.
地點: 空氣的別墅.
Time: on the Mid – Autumn Festival.
時間: 中秋節
People: Air and Rich
人物: Air 和Rich
Rich is from American. He is an exchange student. Now he is studying at Beijing University. He majored in culture of China. His best friend, Air, a designer, works for a photo workshop. Today is Mid – Autumn Festival. So Air invited him to dinner at home.
Rich是個美國人.他是個留學生.現在他在北京大學學習.他主修中國文化專業.他最好的朋友, Air ,壹個設計師, 在壹個攝影工作室工作. 今天是中秋節. 因此Air 邀請他去家做客.
(Air listens to the music when she hears the doorbell.)
(Air正聽著音樂,這時候她聽到門鈴響了.)
A: That must be Rich. (She goes to open the door.)
那壹定是Rich. (她去開門.)
B: Hi, Air.
妳好啊, Air.
A: Welcome. It’s so nice of you to come.
歡迎啊,妳能來真是太好了.
B: Air, thanks for inviting me to the dinner. Today is Mid – Autumn Festival. I bought a bunch of roses for you. Beautiful flowers for beautiful girl.
Air, 謝謝妳邀請我來做客的. 今天是中秋節了. 我買了壹束玫瑰花送給妳,美麗的花給美麗的女孩.
A: It’s nothing. Thank you for your roses.(she hands him a present.) A little present for you.
不客氣.謝謝妳的玫瑰花 .(她遞給他壹個禮物) 給妳準備的壹個小禮物.
B: (he unwraps the present to find four mooncakes in boxes.)
Oh, it’s wonderful. Thanks. You shouldn’t have bought this.
(他打開禮物發現在盒子裏面有四塊月餅) 噢,太棒了.謝謝啦! 妳不該這樣破費了.
A: oh, my pleasure. It’s just a little present for you.
哦,不客氣啦. 僅僅是給妳準備的小禮物而已.
(They sit in the living room.)
(他們坐在客廳裏.)
Can I get you some coffee or tea or a cold drink?
妳要點咖啡或茶水或冷飲嗎?
B: Thanks. Coffee is ok.
謝謝,咖啡就可以了.
A: Black coffee or white coffee?
不加牛奶的咖啡還是加牛奶的咖啡？
B: white coffee, please. Thank you.
加牛奶的咖啡,謝謝.
A: Ok 好的.
(She goes to the kitchen to make coffee. A few minutes later, it’s done. She comes back.)
(她去廚房做咖啡. 幾分鐘後,咖啡好了.她回來了.)
Rich, here you are.
Rich, 給妳咖啡.
B: Thank you, Air.
謝謝妳，Air.。
A: You are welcome. Take your time. Maybe it is hot.
不客氣啊。慢慢來，或許咖啡有些燙。
B: No problem. Air, you know, I’m interested in different culture. Chinese festival is very interesting, too. Would you mind telling me about the Mid – Autumn Festival?
沒關系的。Air.，妳知道，我對不同的文化很感興趣的。中國的節日也是非常有趣的。妳能給我講講有關中秋節的東西嗎？
A: Ok, speaking of eating mooncakes, we have to talk about the story between Chang-Er and Hou Yi.
好啊，談到吃月餅，我們要談到有關嫦娥和後羿的故事。
B: Is that true?
那故事是真實的嗎？
A: No. It’s not true. It’s only legend.
不.不是真實的.它僅僅是個傳說.
B: Oh, I see. What is it?
哦,我明白了，是什麽呢?
A: Long, long ago, the Earth once had 10 suns circling it.
很久以前,地球曾經有10個太陽圍繞她運轉的.
B: What? 10 suns circling it?
什麽? 10個太陽圍繞她運轉?
A: Yes. But I told you it was only a legend. One day all 10 suns came out at once. The temperature of the earth went up quickly.
是的.但是我告訴妳了,它僅僅是個傳說.壹天所有的10個 太陽壹次出現了. 地球的溫度很快升高了.
B: Wow. I guess many people 、plants and animals died. The high temperature must kill them.
噢! 我想許多人,植物和動物都死掉了. 這種高溫壹定殺死他們了.
A: Yes. It was a skillful archer who saved the earth.
是的. 是壹個熟練的弓箭手拯救了地球.
B: Who is he?
他是誰?
A: Hou Yi.
後羿.
B: How did he save the earth? Is he a sprint?
他如何拯救的地球的?他是壹個神仙嗎?
A: No. He only shot down nine suns. Everything will be ok.
不是,他僅僅射掉了九個太陽. 壹切就平安了。
B: He did a good job.
他做的很好.
A: Yes. As his reward, the Heavenly Queen Mother gave him a bottle of magic liquid.
是的. 為了獎勵他,王母娘娘給了他壹瓶神奇的藥水.
B: What? What’s for?
什麽?它作什麽的?
A: If you had it, you would cure illnesses or make you live forever.
假如妳喝了神藥,妳可以治療疾病或者可以使妳永遠活著,長生不老.
B: oh, my god. Are you kidding?
噢,我的天啊. 妳在開玩笑吧?
A: I’m serious. In many Chinese stories, people want to live longer. So they want to get something magic.
我使認真的. 在中國的許多故事中, 人們都想活的長些,因此他們都想得到這樣神奇的東西.
B: I see. What did he do then?
我明白了,那後羿接著做什麽了呢?
A: It’s pity that he paid no attention to her advice.
很遺憾的是後羿沒有聽從王母娘娘的建議.
B: You mean that he drank that all.
妳的意思他喝光了所有的藥水.
A: No. I mean, in front of the fame and fortune, he became a bad-tempered、selfish man.
不是.我是說,在榮譽和財富面前,他變成壹個壞脾氣,自私的人了.
B: Oh, I see. As the saying goes: Money is the root of all evil.
哦.知道了，有句諺語說的好:錢是萬惡之根.
A: I couldn’t agree more. So his wife, Chang-Er could not bear to live with her husband. Then she stole his liquid, drank them and fled to the moon. This is the beautiful woman in the moon, the Moon Fairy.
我太同意了. 因此他的妻子,嫦娥不能在忍受和他生活了.然後她偷了藥水, 喝掉了，逃離到月球上去了. 這就是月亮上美麗女人的傳說了.
B: Interesting!
有趣!
A: Ok, this is the legend that I know. Maybe you will find another story like this. But I’m not for sure.
是啊,這是我所知道的傳說而已.或許妳還能發現其他象這樣的故事,但是我就不確定了.
B: Thanks. 謝謝
A: Oh, Rich. Would you like more coffee?
哦, Rich. 妳想添點咖啡嗎?
B: No. Thanks. Air, why not tell me the mooncakes itself? (He points to the cakes in the box.)
不了,謝謝. Air,妳為什麽不給我講講月餅本身的東西的?(他指了下盒子裏的月餅).
A: It’s a neat idea. In China, it is important for us to have dinner together on Mid-Autumn Festival.
好主意. 在中國,在中秋節這天,對於我們能在壹起吃頓團圓飯是很重要的.
B: Really? I find that many Chinese are busy with their work. When their parents ask them to have dinner, they always have many excuses. I mean they don’t want to come back.
真的嗎? 我發現許多中國人都忙於他們的工作.當他們叫他們去吃團圓飯的時候,他們總找借口. 我的意思是他們並不想回來.
A: Yes. You are right. But many people think today is the time of reunion. It is said that the moon is at its brightest and fullest. It’s very interesting. This year the festival falls on 18 th September.
是的,妳是對的,但是許多人認為今天是團圓的時候. 據說今天的月亮是最亮最圓的. 非常有意思吧. 今年的中秋節在9月18日.
B: Yes. Air. I hear that the seasonal round cakes have many different fillings. Is that true?
是的. Air,我聽說這種季節性的糕點有很多種餡的.是真的嗎?
A: Yes. It is true. Lotus seed paste, red bean paste and so on. Are you hungry? In fact, I’m hungry.
是的,是真的.蓮子餡或是紅豆餡等等. 妳餓了嗎?實際上,我餓了.
B: I’m hungry, too. I can’t wait to have them right now. Air, what is this? (He points to the cakes.) Ah,
我也很餓了.我恨不得立刻就吃了.空氣,這是什麽?(他指了指糕點)
A: Ah! It’s a surprise. I asked the bakery to stamp them with your name so that I’ll give you a big surprise.
啊!那是個驚喜.我讓糕點店在月餅上打上了妳的名字,就想給妳大驚喜的.
B: Thanks
謝謝.
A: But I have to make some tea.
但是我要先沏些茶水來.
B: Why?
為什麽?
A: Some doctors tell us that the mooncakes are loaded with calories, so it’s not for the fat people who are on a diet.
壹些醫生告訴我們說,月餅所含的熱量較大,因此不適合那些在減肥的肥胖人士的.
B: Oh, what’s the best way to have them?
哦,那最好的食用它們的方法是什麽?
A: Ok, the best way to wash down one of these cakes is with a cup of Chinese tea, especially Jasmine or Chrysanthemum tea. Tea aids the digestion.
好的,吃這種糕點最好的是就著壹杯中國茶,特別是茉莉花茶或是菊花茶,茶水可以幫助消化.
B: Thank you very much. 非常感謝.
A: Just for a few minutes. I make tea. 稍等片刻,我去泡茶了.
B: Go ahead. 去吧
(Air goes to the kitchen.) (Air去了廚房.)
●對話精彩點評:
在壹個月餅節的對話中，提到了個說法—長生不老，但好多朋友不知道如何表達了，或許頭腦中只有西遊記的概念，比如什麽仙丹之類的東西，卻沒有想長生不老的本意是什麽，所以表達出現瞬間的停頓，很正常了。
A:The Heavenly Queen Mother gave him a bottle of magic liquid.
B: What? What’s for?
A: If you had it, you would cure
illnesses or make you live forever.
B: oh, my god. Are you kidding?
A: I’m serious. In many Chinese stories,people want to live longer.
So they want to get this magic something.
B: I see.
這段對話很好的將仙丹，比做成壹種神奇的藥，化解了必須去想仙丹的單詞，
也增加了談話的神秘性，接著呢，將長生不老，比喻成假如吃掉這神奇的藥，就會治療好疾病，可以使自己永遠生存在世間的，這不是很好的表達方式嗎，
而且整個句子運用了虛擬語氣，加大了表達的難度，給人感覺語法很好，對吧！
●附：中秋節的傳說：
Mooncakes are to Mid-Autumn Festival what mince pies are to Christmas. The seasonal round cakes traditionally have a sweet filling of lotus seed paste or red bean paste and often have one or more salted duck eggs in the center to represent the moon. And the moon is what this celebration is all about. Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month, it is the time when the moon is said to be at its brightest and fullest. This year the festival falls on October 1.
There are two legends which claim to explain the tradition of eating mooncakes. One Tang Dynasty myth holds that the Earth once had 10 suns circling it. One day all 10 suns appeared at once, scorching the planet with their heat. It was thanks to a skillful archer named Hou Yi that the Earth was saved. He shot down all but one of the suns. As his reward, the Heavenly Queen Mother gave Hou Yi the Elixir of Immortality, but she warned him that he must use it wisely. Hou Yi ignored her advice and, corrupted by fame and fortune, became a tyrannical leader. Chang-Er, his beautiful wife, could no longer stand by and watch him abuse his power so she stole his Elixir and fled to the moon to escape his angry wrath. And thus began the legend of the beautiful woman in the moon, the Moon Fairy.
The second legend has it that during the Yuan Dynasty, an underground group led by Zhu Yuan Zang was determined to rid the country of Mongolian dominance. The moon cake was created to carry a secret message. When the cake was opened and the message read, an uprising was unleashed which successfully routed the Mongolians. It happened at the time of the full moon, which, some say, explains why mooncakes are eaten at this time.
Mooncakes are usually stamped with Chinese characters indicating the name of the bakery and the type of filling used. Some bakeries will even stamp them with your family name so that you can give personalised ones to friends and family. They are usually presented in boxes of four which indicate the four phases of the moon. Traditional mooncakes are made with melted lard, but today vegetable oil is more often used in the interests of health.
Mooncakes are not for the diet-conscious as they are loaded with calories. The best way to wash down one of these sticky cakes is with a cup of Chinese tea, especially Jasmine or Chrysanthemum tea, which aids the digestion.
中秋節吃月餅就像西方人聖誕節吃百果餡餅壹樣，是必不可少的。圓圓的月餅中通常包有香甜的蓮子餡或是紅豆餡，餡的中央還會加上壹個金黃的鹹鴨蛋黃來代表月亮。而月亮正是中秋節慶祝的主題。每年農歷8月15日人們壹起慶祝中秋，據說這壹天的月亮是壹年中最亮最圓的。今年的中秋節恰好是陽歷的10月1日（中國的國慶日）。
關於吃月餅這個傳統的來歷有兩個傳說。壹個是唐朝的神話故事，說的是當時地球被10個太陽包圍著。有壹天10個太陽同時出現在天空中，巨大的熱量幾乎把地球烤焦了。多虧壹位名叫後羿的神箭手射下了9個太陽，地球才被保住。為了獎勵後羿，王母娘娘賜給後羿壹種長生不老藥，但是王母警告他必須正當使用。然而後羿沒有理會王母娘娘的警告，他被名利沖昏了頭腦，變成了壹個暴君。後羿美麗的妻子嫦娥對他的暴行再也不能袖手旁觀，於是她偷走了後羿的長生不老藥，飛到月亮上逃避後羿的狂怒。從此就有了關於月宮仙子嫦娥，這個月亮上的美麗女人的傳說。
第二個傳說講的是在元朝，朱元璋領導的起義軍計劃起義來擺脫蒙古族的統治。他們用月餅來傳遞密信。掰開月餅就可以找到裏面的密信，起義軍通過這種方式成功的發動了起義，趕走了元朝的統治者。這場起義發生在八月十五之時，於是中秋節吃月餅的習俗便在民間傳開來。
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In Chinese dichotomy, the sun is yang (positive, active, or male) and the moon is yin (negative, passive, or female). According to the book Chou Li, the Chou emperors (1122-249 B.C.) had the custom of praying to the moon on the 15th night of the eighth lunar month. In the Ching dynasty, there were a sun altar in eastern Peking and a moon altar in western Peking; at the time of every autumnal equinox, the emperor offered sacrifices and prayed to the moon at the moon altar.
Before switching to the Gregorian calendar officially in 1911, the Chinese had used a lunar calendar since time immemorial; and even today, the Chinese still celebrate their traditional festivals by the lunar calendar. In each lunar month, the first day (the new moon) and the 15th day (the full moon) are major events; and the 15th day of the first month (the Lantern Festival) and the 15th day of the eighth month (Mid-Autumn Festival, September 9th this year on the Gregorian calendar) are the largest celebrations besides the Lunar New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival.
The Chinese Cupid is called "the old man under the moon" ( る?ρ? ) and uses a red thread to tie a man's and woman's feet together to make them man and wife--be they from hostile families or widely separated places.
The most lunatic mortal in Chinese history could have been the great poet Li Po (A.D. 701-762), who once invited the moon to have a drink with him and his shadow to form a band of three. Li finally drowned in a lake in an effort to catch the moon when he was drunk one night. Other Chinese legends about the moon abound.
Legends of the Moon
Moon cakes go best with oolong or jasmine tea.
Hou Yi ( ? ) was a great archer and architect, who shot down nine extra suns that had suddenly appeared in the sky and thus kept the earth from being scorched. He also built a palace of jade for the Goddess of the Western Heaven. For this, he was rewarded with a pill containing the elixir of immortality, but with strings attached--he must fast and pray for a year before taking it. His wife, Chang O ( 慣甖 ), whose beauty was surpassed only by her curiosity, discovered and swallowed the pill and in no time soared to the moon and became a permanent resident there. Upon reaching the moon, Chang O, in dismay, coughed up the pill, which turned into a jade rabbit that, day and night, pounds out a celestial elixir for the immortals.
Another permanent lunar resident of Chinese origin is Wu Kang ( ? ), a shiftless fellow who changed apprenticeships all the time before disappointing his last master, who was an immortal. From him Wu learned to be immortal himself, but he was punished by being required to chop down a cassia tree in the moon, an impossible mission. The cut in the tree heals completely the same day, so Wu Kang is still chopping away for eternity. Some Chinese crave to drink his cassia blossom wine.
The Chinese believe that the moon is at its largest and brightest, and Chang O at her most beautiful, on the 15th night of the eighth lunar month. They are at least half-right, for at that time most of China is in the dry season and the moon looms brightest. It's also cool then, a perfect time to celebrate the harvest which has just concluded; hence, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Harvest Festival. The festival is a time for family reunions to appreciate the moon ( 潔る , shangyue) and eat moon cakes together. Bathed in bright moonshine and with the company of chrysanthemum and cassia blossoms, poets eat crab meat and moon cake, drink tea and wine, and versify the night away.
Moon Cakes
Moon gazing
The Chinese custom of eating moon cake was first recorded in the reign of the emperor Hsi Tzung (A.D. 874-889) of the Tang dynasty and became popular in the Sung dynasty (A.D. 960-1279) The moon cake is traditionally made in the shape of a full moon, symbolizing union and perfection, is usually about the size of a doughnut, and is stuffed with a variety of fillings such as bean paste, egg yolk, lotus seeds, dates, pineapple, walnuts, almonds, and sesame. The crafty Chu Yuan-chang, founder of the Ming dynasty, instigated a rebellion against the Mongol rulers by concealing a call to revolt in moon cakes, leading to the downfall of the Yuan dynasty.
There are many styles of moon cake in China; the most popular in Taiwan are the Cantonese, Soochow, and Taiwanese styles. The Cantonese moon cake is thicker and heavier, while the Soochow and Taiwanese ones have a crispy skin. In the last couple of years a new breed of refrigerated, unbaked moon cake has been gaining popularity, especially among youngster; and durian, coconut meat, vanilla, tea, and coffer have added as ingredients.
Most Chinese consume moon cakes given to them by relatives, friend, employers, or public relations people.Hence, brands matter. Among the most famous are Kee Wah, Maria's and shin Tung Yang. Moon cakes go best with oolong or jasmine tea.
It takes the moon about 29 1/2 days to revolve around the earth, and the Chinese lunar month is either 29 or 30 days. An extra month(called a leap month) is necessary about every three years. There will be a second eight lunar month in 1995. The 15th of the first eight lunar month is celebrated as the Mid-Autumn Festival, which has been designed a public holiday by the Republic of China government. Have a nice holiday, and remember moon calkes taste best when shared by family members or lovers, or both.