20091003 -- Moon Cakes (1)

Moon Cakes

Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with this Chinese treat

Today is Mid-Autumn Festival - and the best way to celebrate is by eating a moon cake! Packed with meaning, round moon cakes suggest the moon, which is full tonight. Moon cakes also represent family gatherings. The word for family gathering, tuan yuan (團圓) includes the character for round. Traditional moon cakes have paste fillings covered with pastry. Flavors vary by location, with Cantonese-style cakes being the most popular. But bakeries and hotels now offer uniue - and nontraditional - flavors like green tea, chocolate and evedn durian!

The trend started 29 years ago in Hong Kong with "snow-skin" moon cakes. The outer layer is made of rice cake. Snow-skin moon cakes come in colors like pink, purple and yellow and in a variety of flavors. Ice-cream moon cakes are selling like hot cakes. A few years ago, some stores began offering ice-cream moon cakes coated with chocolate. In some locations, these cakes sell so quickly that people need to order them in advance! Moon cakes with their tasty flavors and happy meanings bring out the joy of the holiday.



represent v. 代表/表示/象徵
eg: Lisa's wedding ring represents her husband's love and commitment to her.
eg: Owning a car represents freedom.
eg: In this painting, the rainbow represents hope.
eg: Josh represented his company at the regional meeting.

filling n. 裝填/裝填物/(糕點的)餡子
eg: This chocolate cake has a cream filling inside it.
eg: The cream filling inside the puffs is made of non-fat milk.
eg: The filling of these pillows is 100% goose down.

sell like hot cakes (idiom) 十分暢銷
eg: These colorful MP3 players are selling like hot cakes, You'd botter buy one soon!
eg: The little girl's first album is selling like hot cakes in England.
eg: Batteries sell like hot cakes before typhoons hit.

trend (n) 趨勢/傾向/時尚
eg: Valerie loves following fashion trends. She's always buying different clothes!


durian n. 榴槤(樹)


//== Chat Room ==//

the autumnal equinox 秋成
the Harvest Moon 秋分前後之滿月

blue moon 長久
eg:I haven't seen her in a blue moon. 我已經很久沒看到他了.

full moon 滿月
gibbous moon 隆起的月亮
quarter moon 四分月/半月
crescent moon 新月形月亮
half moon 半月

//== Grammar on the Go ==//

In some locations, these cakes sell so quickly that people need to order them in advance! in advance early You need to prepare your ingredients in advance. Get your concert tickets in advance.

in advance 事先
eg: You need to prepare your ingredients in advance.
eg: Get your concert tickets in advance.