All about mooncakes: Full of flavor -- and calories!

CNN

Delicately designed, overwhelmingly dense and often an acquired taste* for many in the West, mooncakes are one of the most famous foods found in Chinese communities around the world this time of year.

*an acquired taste：something that you dislike at first, but that you start to like after you have tried it a few times 养成的嗜好

Olives are an acquired taste.

橄榄这种东西吃得多就爱吃了。

Every year on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, Chinese and other Asian cultures celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

每年农历八月十五，中国以及一些其他的亚洲国家都会庆祝中秋节。

Mooncakes are as important to festivities* as turkey is to Thanksgiving and latkes* are to Hanukah*.

月饼对于中秋节的重要性就好比火鸡对于感恩节、马铃薯饼对于光明节一样。

*festivities：the parties, meals, and other social activities with which people celebrate a special occasion 庆祝活动

Come in and join the festivities!

进来参加庆祝活动吧！

*Hanukah：光明节，是一个犹太教的节日。该节日乃纪念犹太人在马加比家族的领导下，从叙利亚塞琉古王朝国王安条克四世手上夺回耶路撒冷，并重新将耶路撒冷第二圣殿献给上主。

*latkes 马铃薯饼；土豆饼

Potato pancakes, latkes or boxties are shallow-fried pancakes of grated or ground potato, flour and egg, often flavored with grated garlic or onion and seasoning.

While Thanksgiving celebrations were first recorded in the US as far back as 1607, historians say people in China have been celebrating the harvest and worshiping the moon for centuries before Christ.

庆祝感恩节，在美国最早有记载可以追溯到1607年，但历史学家称，中国庆祝丰收和敬拜月亮的活动早在公元前几世纪就出现了。

The Mid-Autumn Festival -- when the moon is at its fullest and brightest -- became an official celebration in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

中秋节——此时的月亮最圆最亮——在中国成为官方节日是在唐朝时期（公元618到907年）。

The term "mooncake" was first found in 1274 AD in author Wu Zimu's "Book of Dreams," and the first cookbook on how to prepare mooncakes was published in 1792.

“月饼”这个词最早于1274年南宋末年出现在吴子牧的“梦梁录”中，关于月饼的做法也早到1792年就有记录。

'Round like the moon'

“和月亮一样圆的月饼”

While there are many variations of mooncakes, the most famous is the classic Cantonese version: a soft pastry filled with sweet lotus seed paste and savory salted duck egg yolk.

尽管传统的月饼有了很多种变化，最为有名的还是经典的广式月饼——一种用莲蓉和咸蛋黄作馅的月饼。

"They are round like the moon," celebrity cook Maria Cordero tells CNN.

厨师玛丽亚·科德罗告诉CNN：“月饼和月亮一样圆。”

Affectionately known as "Fei Ma" -- translated as "Fat Mama" -- Cordero was a singer who found a second career as host of a series of home cooking shows that are hugely popular in Hong Kong and among much of the Chinese diaspora*.

被亲切的称为“肥妈”——翻译过来即是“胖妈妈”——的科德罗是一个歌手，她的第二职业是一系列家庭自制糕点节目的主持人，在香港以及华人圈内非常受欢迎。

*diaspora [daɪ'æsp(ə)rə]

the spreading of people from one original country to other countries （一国人口向其他国家的）流散，大移居

Cordero has a big family -- six children and 13 grandchildren.

科德罗有一个大家庭——6个儿女和13个孙子孙女。

She says the mooncake represents the family reuniting and sharing the treat that will put a smile on everyone's face.

她说月饼代表着家庭团聚和分享，让每个人的脸上都绽开笑容。

You could -- but really shouldn't eat an entire mooncake on your own. One small cake contains nearly 1,000 calories.

你可以——但真的不要一人吃掉一整个月饼。一个月饼的热量高近千卡路里。

"You cut it into small pieces so the whole family can share," she says.

她说，“把月饼切成小块，这样一家人可以一起分享。”

"When you cut it you'll get some pieces that have a lot of egg yolk and some that have little or none at all. To show respect, you give the piece with the most egg yolk to the eldest and keep the piece with the least egg yolk for yourself."

“在切的时候可能有些块里有很多蛋黄而有些里面没有。我们会将蛋黄多的分给长辈以示尊敬，没有蛋黄的留到自己吃。”

It's all about variety

Like many Westerners, there are Chinese who will admit the lotus paste and salted duck egg dessert just isn't their thing. Luckily, there are many other varieties of mooncakes to try.

和许多西方人一样，也有一些中国人表示他们对莲蓉咸蛋黄馅并不感冒。幸运的是，还有许多种口味的月饼可以尝试。

Those wanting a savorier filling can try the Yunnan-style mooncake that contains honey and ham.

那些喜好鲜香味的人可以试试云南风格的蜂蜜和火腿月饼。

Those with a sweet tooth can sample mooncakes filled with egg custard or ice cream.

那些喜好甜食的人则可以试试牛奶蛋羹或者冰琪淋口味。