KDU Mid Autumn Festival @ KDU University College

Ms. Loke demonstrating on how to make the mooncake.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival also known as the Mooncake Festival, an annual celebration of the harvest moon during the eighth month in the lunar calendar. The Mid-Autumn celebration includes lighting of lanterns and of course mooncakes, which have, without a doubt, become the main highlight of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is also a time for reunion for Chinese families, and as it is part and parcel of studying away from home, students may sometimes miss out the chance to celebrate certain seasonal celebrations with their families. Not wanting them to feel left out, the Student & Alumni Centre of KDU University College initiated a mooncake workshop recently on 23 September.

A little on the history of mooncakes - the mooncake was introduced because it helped to free Yuan China from the Mongol rule after rebels organised a revolt by passing messages hidden in these seasonal sweets. Traditionally, mooncakes are infused with embedded egg yolks and lotus seed paste. Today, with mooncakes getting a makeover, we can find numerous creative fillings and it takes our taste buds on a dizzying tour.

The students were all smiles after the workshop

The hands-on mooncake workshop at KDU was conducted by Ms Loke from T Garden Cooking School. The workshop was held at the Silence Room of KDU University College’s Utropolis Glenmarie Campus. Students explored and learned hands-on on how to make the less traditional snow skin mooncakes. Through the workshop, students got a chance to experience making mooncakes and bring hand-made mooncakes home.

Ultimately, the workshop was held to expose the youths of today on the tradition and history of mooncakes as well as giving them the rare chance of actually making their own mooncakes. The prime purpose of bringing students together and making them feel at home albeit being away from home was met through the laughter and bonds knitted through the whole workshop experience.