The Mid-Autumn Pageant symbolizes peaceable household togetherness below the brightest full moon of the 12 months, and mooncakes, mooncakes, in all places. The moon is full and large, down low near the horizon, and nearly orange in coloration. Cultures that use the lunar calendar have a good time the Mid-Autumn Pageant, together with however not restricted to Chinese language, Korean, and Vietnamese communities. The San Francisco Bay Space is extra accustomed to the standard Cantonese mooncakes, which function elaborately molded spherical or square-shaped pastries with a dense, barely sweetened paste constituted of lotus seeds or crimson beans, encased by a skinny, chewy, alkaline dough. Some have a dried, salted egg yolk within the center to signify the total moon, and double or extra egg yolks are for additional prosperity. You solely have to eat a few small wedges from the pastry, because it’s so dense. We suggest sharing and washing it down with scorching tea.

This 12 months, the pageant falls on September 10, however San Francisco will host its Mid-Autumn Pageant avenue honest on August 27 and 28 in Chinatown, the place you possibly can undoubtedly get mooncakes from native bakeries whereas watching lion dancing and different leisure. If you’d like extra of the palm-sized deliciousness exterior of the road honest, you’ll discover loads of choices throughout the Bay, together with an thrilling crop of new-school mooncakes, from vegan variations to mooncake-inspired candies, and with extra pan-Asian flavors past conventional Chinese language. Under is only a sampling of the mouthwatering varieties accessible.

Outer Sundown
Made recent each day with out preservatives, this 12 months’s mooncakes embrace salted egg custard and a pungent Musang King durian—not for the uninitiated. Whilst you’re there, you could additionally get a warmed unique pineapple bun (there’s no pineapple, however the crackly, sugar-egg paste on prime appears to be like like one) filled with a calming slab of Kerrygold butter, or the guava butter model. You in all probability needed to wait in a line that wrapped across the nook, anyway. May as nicely make it value your whereas. Deliver money.
Find out how to order: Stroll-in or preorder on-line for pick-up and third-party supply.

Chinatown
That is the spot for conventional mooncakes like lotus seed, crimson bean, and black bean paste. If you happen to’re feeling additional affluent, get a quadruple yolk one! Plus, mooncakes cookies constituted of leftover dough, which have had a resurgence as of late, formed like pigs, fish, and the Buddha. Whilst you would possibly already be weighed down by 50 kilos of mooncakes as presents, add on a slice of Japanese Bakery’s well-known espresso crunch cake.
Find out how to order: Stroll-in or pre-order by telephone 415-433-7973 or e mail for pick-up or delivery.

Oakland, San Jose, remainder of the Bay Space
Recognized for plant-based and gluten-free Taiwanese pineapple desserts since 2021, Annie’s T Truffles has been a part of the current wave of vegan Asian baked items within the Bay Space. For the Mid-Autumn Pageant, rejoice on the vegan mini mooncake choices of jasmine tea, matcha, crimson bean, and black sesame. A much bigger bonus is the Present Field that simply dropped, that includes full-sized mooncakes in new flavors like White Chocolate Hojicha and matcha with strawberry filling, with an possibility so as to add a greeting card. Pre-orders shut on August 28, and the bins shall be accessible for pick-up in Oakland and San Jose from September 7 by means of September 10, or could be shipped all through California.
Find out how to order: Pre-order full-sized mooncake Present Bins on-line (till 8/28) by way of Hotplate for pick-up in Oakland or San Jose, or delivery all through California; pre-order mini mooncakes for pick-up or supply by way of Pastel.

Daly Metropolis, Dublin, Milpitas
One other established spot for dim sum and Cantonese seafood additionally gives seasonal mooncakes present bins. The Luxurious Seven Stars Reunion Mooncakes field options one full-sized conventional Lotus Seed Paste Cake with double egg yolk, surrounded by a circle of colourful, mini mooncakes with oozy lava facilities like chocolate and ube.
Find out how to order: Pre-order on-line for pickup or nationwide delivery.

SoMa
Whereas the Vietnamese American chocolate firm began by two sisters had already established itself as an early purveyor of Asian American effective candies, the pandemic spurred a Mid-Autumn Pageant innovation of mooncake-inspired candies. Again once more this 12 months and hopefully yearly, three kinds of boxed units can be found, together with the 2022 Mid-Autumn Assortment present field that options six kinds of beautiful candies, together with Mango Pate de Fruit with fish sauce, a Vietnamese floral gin with darkish chocolate ganache, and a chrysanthemum and honey-infused mixture of darkish and milk chocolate ganache. The Mooncake Sweets field really has tiny items of egg yolk in every chocolate, with fillings starting from lotus seed paste to ube.
Find out how to order: Pre-order from the total choice on-line for delivery on August 30 or September 6. Pre-order for pickup or Bay Space supply with a restricted menu by way of Pastel.

Mission District
Making mooncakes is a labor-intensive, however fascinating course of. Be taught to make the fashionable translucent snowskin ones alongside buddies or relations on this mooncake-making class hosted by BiteUnite. Every individual will find yourself with a dozen mini mooncakes to take house.
Find out how to order: Ebook a September class on-line for $120.

All around the Bay Space
Whereas SF is notoriously anti-chain, the Asian bakery chains know what’s up, and roll out their Mid-Autumn Pageant items with a practiced precision throughout their places. Sheng Kee gives some uncommon mooncake flavors like mulberry and lychee. 85 Diploma has each Cantonese and spherical Taiwanese-style mooncakes, together with a signature savory-sweet Dong-Po taste full of walnuts, pork floss, crimson bean, mochi, and egg yolk. Kee Wah, established in Hong Kong in 1938, has Bay Space places that provide low-sugar and pineapple mooncakes, plus piggy biscuits constituted of leftover dough. On-line, order from Hong Kong’s Wing Wah, whose mooncakes are in style for his or her gentle white lotus paste filling. Many mom-and-pop Chinese language bakeries promote their very own mooncakes, too, like Napoleon Tremendous Bakery and iCafe in Chinatown, and Cherry Blossom Bakery within the Ingleside and Richmond districts.

All around the Bay Space
Don’t low cost the old-school mooncakes from Asian grocery shops.They have a tendency to have preservatives in them, in the event you care about that form of factor, however are dependable and normally are available in attractive tins or present bins adorned with detailed portraits of Change’e, the immortal Moon Girl, or the rabbit on the moon. Other than the 99 Ranch chain, Richmond New Could Wah Grocery store within the Inside Richmond District is a stable Chinese language grocery retailer, and Costcos within the Bay Space are additionally a certain wager for mooncakes this time of 12 months. A well-liked model to attempt is Maxim, when accessible.

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