When I was small, whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, I always dressed up in my fairy wings to welcome the festival. As I grew older, however, I appreciated the value of this festival less. It was just an excuse for teenagers like me to hang out with my friends. Little did I know that studying abroad could make me miss the moment when my hometown echoed with the tales of Moon Goddess and the streets were filled with booths selling mooncakes.
On Saturday, September 22, the MHC Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) held its “Mooncake Showcase” to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Torrey’s common room. The event eased my homesickness and enriched the cultural diversity on campus. It featured lotus tea, a variety of mooncake flavors, and introduced the traditions of the festival.
The event started off at 7:30 p.m., when two students in VSA introduced the event and the Mid-Autumn Festival to the guests.
After the opening ceremony, guests wandered around to have a look at the decoration table, where two golden brown mooncakes with a lotus flower imprinted on top sat nicely on the bamboo mat. Behind the mooncakes were two mini lotuses (the national flower of Vietnam), conical hats embroidered with pagodas and flowers, a star-shaped lantern, and a wooden fuchsia dragonfly.
The corner of Torrey common room was where the guests could try a wide range of mooncakes with various flavors. The inside of the mooncakes were composed of thick and rich-flavored paste made from seeds, as well as egg yolk in the center, which represented the full moon. The outside was a layer of thin crust, which was imprinted with Chinese characters, and flowers. The event featured a wide range of flavors, from traditional ones such as savory chicken floss, sweet green bean, and red bean, to a more contemporary flavor: matcha. Vegetarian options were also included: lotus-seed paste without egg yolk. But for me personally, finding double egg yolks in a mooncake is such a treat, as mooncakes typically have only one egg yolk. My personal favorite flavour was matcha. According to Minh Khuu, current VSA president, all the decorations and mooncakes were brought from Vietnam to the U.S.
Hot lotus tea was served alongside the cakes. With a slight aroma, lotus tea is a true soulmate to mooncakes, as it balances the sweetness of the paste and the grease from baked crust.
Ilikia Tripathi ’22 commented on her first time eating mooncake, “I love the red bean [ones]! They are exotically rich and sweet. When you have it with tea, it is actually quite refreshing.” Lesley ’22 and Yuxi Zhu ’22 also said that the event was quite relaxing, and they had a lot of fun. Chicken floss was their favorite.
The traditions were further promoted when the Vietnamese students dressed in their traditional costume: ao dai (áo dài) in pure white, which is typically worn by Vietnamese high school female students on Monday mornings, and vibrant colors such as red, teal, pink, and cobalt blue with unique patterns and traditional flower embroidery.
Matcha mooncakes successfully ended my Vietnamese food cravings. With various flavors and flexible selections in mooncakes and tea, and eye-catching but rich in traditions accessories, VSA brought a cozy night and spread Vietnamese culture among the campus community.
Photos source: MHC Vietnamese Student Association
If you would like to write for Her Campus Mount Holyoke, or if you have any questions or comments for us, please email mt-holyoke@hercampus.com.