原來中秋節有這麼多美食 只好來年相見
Special food has always played an integral part in any traditional Chinese event.
節日小吃向來是中國傳統佳節必不可缺的一環。
For the Mid-Autumn Festival, which will be celebrated this year on Sept 15, the mooncake is a staple.
今年的中秋佳節恰逢9月15日，月餅則是必備的節日美食。
Fresh fillings
新奇的口味
Mooncakes have become more diverse over the years.
這些年來，月餅的口味變得越來越多樣化。
If you’ve had your fill of traditional flavors like red bean, *walnut *kernels, candied tangerine, *shredded coconut, white lotus or egg yolk, try something a bit more creative.
如果你已經厭倦了紅豆、五仁、蜜桔、椰蓉、白蓮蓉、蛋黃等傳統口味，不如試些新花樣。
Many hotels in Beijing have launched mooncake gift boxes with new fillings like egg custard, tiramisu paste and ham.
北京的許多酒家推出瞭如奶黃、提拉米蘇、火腿等新口味的月餅禮盒。
Days before the festival, residents in cities like Shanghai and Suzhou queue around the block outside bakeries to grab their freshly baked meat or crab mooncakes.
而上海、蘇州等地的居民節前則在街上的麪包店外大排長龍，購買新鮮出爐的鮮肉或蟹肉月餅。
Ice-cream cakes are also worth a try, especially for those with a sweet tooth.
對於那些喜愛甜食的人而言，冰淇淋月餅尤其值得一試。
The sugary snacks often feature a chocolate *crust and are filled with various delicious flavors of ice cream.
這種甜點的外層多爲巧克力，而內餡則是各式各樣口味的冰淇淋。
Lovely leftovers
多餘月餅的妙用
*Surplus mooncakes could be a sweet burden after the festival is over.
佳節一過，多餘的月餅便成了甜蜜的負擔。
To avoid waste, Sichuan Daily offers some recipes to re-use those leftover cakes, like mooncake porridge or salad.
爲避免浪費，《四川日報》專門介紹了月餅糊、月餅沙拉等食譜，爲人們解決多餘的月餅出點子。
Most people mix beans with sugar and nuts to make soybean milk.
大多數人將大豆、白糖以及堅果混合製成豆漿。
For something different, try emptying the fillings of nut-flavored mooncakes into the soybean milk machine together with the beans.
而更有創意的一種做法是，將月餅的果仁餡和大豆一起放入豆漿機中攪拌。
Generally, one normal-sized five-nut mooncake can be transformed into two bottles of soybean milk when mixing with 100g beans and 1,200ml water.
通常情況下，一個正常大小的五仁月餅、100克的大豆以及1200毫升的水，便能做成兩瓶豆漿。
It’s best not to fry leftover mooncakes as this will send their fat and calorie content sky high.
然而，最好不要煎炸食用這些剩餘的月餅，因爲這樣會使月餅的脂肪含量和卡路里奇高無比。
A more obvious way to enjoy them without the guilt would be by combining them with fresh fruits and vegetables, suggests Zhang Ying, a nutritionist at The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu.
成都第三人民醫院的營養師張穎建議，將月餅和新鮮蔬果共同食用，可以降低罪惡感。
Other indulgences
其餘佳餚
Mid-Autumn isn’t all about the mooncakes.
中秋佳餚並不僅僅只有月餅。
Other popular festival *delicacies include *taro, river snails, wine *fermented with *osmanthus flowers, duck, pumpkin and crab.
芋頭、田螺、酒釀桂花、鴨子、南瓜、螃蟹等美食也備受歡迎。
Taro is often boiled, peeled and eaten after dipping in caster sugar – it’s even said to dispel bad luck.
人們認爲，將水煮芋頭剝皮後蘸糖吃，能夠驅除厄運。
Autumn is considered the best time to enjoy duck and people across China all have their own special regional cooking methods for the bird.
正所謂秋高鴨肥，而中國各地也有不同的食鴨方法。
Nanjing Saltwater Duck, for example, is marinated and simmered with ginger, onion and star anise.
例如，南京鹽水鴨便是以姜、洋蔥以及八角醃製燉煮而成。
Hairy Crab is also a highlight of the Mid-Autumn reunion dinner, especially in Shanghai and Jiangsu.
而在上海和江蘇等地，毛蟹則是中秋團圓宴上的又一亮點。
Local people believe that the tastiest way to eat hairy crab is to steam it to keep its original flavor then pair with vinegar and bruised ginger.
當地人認爲，清蒸保留了螃蟹的原汁原味，再佐以醋和薑末，是食用毛蟹的最佳方法。
Whether you’re a huge food fan or not, the Mid-Autumn festival is a time for getting together with family.
不論你是否是個吃貨，中秋節都是闔家團圓的日子。
So go spend some time catching up with the ones you love – just don’t forget to unbuckle your belt if you do have one too many mooncakes.
所以多花些時間和你愛的人待在一起吧 —— 如果吃了太多月餅的話，別忘了鬆開腰帶。
