Mooncake, also known as hu cake, palace cake, small cake, moon ball, reunion cake and so on.

According to historical records, as early as in the Yin and Zhou periods, there is a commemoration of the master Wenzhong, Jiang, Zhejiang area of the side of the thin heart of the "master cake", which is China's "ancestor" of the moon cake. Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian's mission to the West, the introduction of sesame seeds, walnuts, for the production of moon cakes added accessories, then appeared to walnut as the filling of the round cake, called "Hu cake". Tang Dynasty, the folk have been engaged in the production of cake masters, the capital Chang'an also began to appear cake store.

The word "mooncake" was first used in the Southern Song Dynasty in Wu Zimu's "Dreams of Liang Records", when mooncakes were diamond-shaped, and chrysanthemum cakes, plum blossom cakes and other concurrently existed, and were "available in all seasons, so that you can ask for it" (available throughout the year, as long as there is a demand for the supply). It can be seen that at this time the moon cake, not only in the Mid-Autumn Festival to eat.

As for the origin of the term mooncake, there is no way to prove it. It is said that one Mid-Autumn Festival night, Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei moon eating Hu cake, Tang Xuanzong smacked "Hu cake" name is not good, Yang Guifei looked up at the bright moon, heart pounding, out of the mouth and "moon cake", from the "Moon Cake The name of the "moon cake" will be gradually spread in folklore.

Mid-Autumn Festival eating moon cakes is said to have begun in the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the vast number of people in the Central Plains could not bear the cruel rule of the Yuan Dynasty ruling class, and they rose up against the Yuan. Zhu Yuanzhang united various resistance forces to prepare for the uprising. However, the imperial court officials and soldiers searched very closely, and it was very difficult to pass the news.

Liu Bo Wen, the military advisor, came up with a plan to order his subordinates to hide the "August 15 night uprising" note inside the cake, and then sent people to send people around the insurgent army, notifying them to rise on the night of August 15 to respond. On the day of the uprising, all the rebel armies responded together, and the rebel army was like a prairie fire.

Soon, Xu Da captured the Yuan capital and the uprising was successful. When the news came, Zhu Yuanzhang was so happy that he quickly sent down an order to let all the generals and soldiers enjoy the coming Mid-Autumn Festival with the people, and rewarded the ministers with "mooncakes", which had been used to secretly deliver messages during the uprising, as festive cakes.

Since then, the mooncake has become more and more elaborate, with more varieties, as big as a disk, and has become a good gift. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the custom of eating moon cakes will be spread in folklore.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Mooncakes - History