5 WAYS TO SAVOUR MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL IN CHINATOWN

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 29 September 2023, and Chinatown London has endless offerings to celebrate the occasion. Dating back almost 3000 years, Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, celebrates the annual harvest that falls on the 8th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Traditionally, families and loved ones will gather together to celebrate with a seasonal feast!

Chinatown has endless offerings to celebrate the occasion and we’ve selected the top dishes and ingredients, and where to find them:

1. Mooncakes are a popular delicacy eaten and gifted during the festival period. They are shaped like the full moon and made from sweet pastry filled with delicious red bean, sesame or lotus seed paste. Tuck in and grab a few to take home at Sakurado, Chinatown Bakery, Oseyo and Bun House.
2. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, it’s custom to eat roast duck, a classic dish in China. Enjoyed best with taro, sour plum and spices at the likes of Four Seasons, Haozhan, Cafe TPT and New China.
3. Another celebratory dish is hairy crab, commonly eaten in the region of Shanghai. Steamed crabs are often prepared with ginger and vinegar and served with soy sauce. Discover at Orient London, China Modern and JinLi.
4. A traditional fermented wine with Osmanthus flowers, with origins dating back over 2000 years. Osmanthus wine is best enjoyed to mark the festival which falls when the Osmanthus flowers are in full bloom. Sip on floral notes at Plum Valley.
5. It is believed that eating Taro (a purple sweet potato) will bring good luck and wealth whilst lotus root symbolises strong family bonds and togetherness. Both can be enjoyed as part of various dishes across Chinatown. For something more fruitful, pears are considered to invoke a forever reunion in Chinese culture. Stock up at See Woo or New Loon Moon to enjoy at home!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋快乐!

Celebrate with us and share the dishes you try by tagging @chinatownlondon on social channels.