Mooncakes

Tuesday, September 21 marks the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, the Asian holiday celebrates what is considered the brightest and fullest moon of the year, as well as the fall harvest. In China, where perhaps the holiday is most popular, it's similar to Thanksgiving, with families gathering for a meal, accompanied by lantern lighting. Mooncakes, the namesake food of the vent, are another important component. The round pastries are traditionally filled with red bean or lotus seed paste, wrapped around a salted dug egg that symbolizes the moon. They're then pressed into a mold to emboss the top of the pastry in elaborate designs, which all have different meanings. Ahead, we've rounded up the 13 best places in New York City to find all varieties of mooncakes, along with a few options for ordering online.
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