Source: CCTV.com

08-30-2008 11:02

While creative designers reach for the moon, moon cakes are big in Shanghai these days.

In about two weeks, Chinese people will celebrate the  traditional Mid-Autumn Festival.

In about two weeks, Chinese people will celebrate the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. And the 2008 China Moon cake Cultural Festival is underway in Shanghai. Visitors have the opportunity to taste some of the more than 500 new recipes on offer this year.

Shanghai's famous shopping avenue Nanjing Road has been transformed into the kingdom of moon cakes. More than a hundred moon cake bakers from around China begin selling at their open-air counters early in the morning.

The trend of fancy and complicated packaged products of the past decade has become out dated. Today's moon cake boasts a simple, environment-friendly new style. There's much more attention to taste.

Old brands have kept their traditional methods while moving into new market areas. There are sugar-free moon cakes. There are low fat mooncakes. And there are mooncakes to please the Western palate with cheese and coffee flavours.

The price of a box of moon cakes varies from about 40 yuan to over two hundred yuan. Moon cakes are a must for family reunions during the Mid-Autumn Festival which falls on September 14th this year.