MANILA - Celebrate one of the most important Chinese festivals of the year at the EDSA Shangri-La as they offer a delectable array of special moon cakes.

Moon cakes, or "yuebing", are indispensible components of the traditional Chinese celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese calendar. 

The celebration marks the time of year when the moon is at its fullest and roundest. Families and friends traditionally share moon cakes and tea.

This year, the hotel celebrates the festival from August 15 to September 2.

Moon cakes are typically round pastries that have a soft, tender skin on the outside and a rich, dense filling made with vegetable or fruit paste. Buried at its center are salted egg yolks to symbolize the full moon. 

Each cake is stamped with a Chinese character on its golden brown surface. These characters are usually moon symbols, words of longevity and harmony, or even the name of the bakery that made it.

Selling moon cakes at the EDSA Shangri-La has been a long tradition at the hotel, according to Michelle Peralta of the Communications Division. This year, however, she said that the moon cakes will be better than ever.

"There are more flavors now, since every year the mooncake is better than the last," she said in a phone interview. "It's the best talaga, sobrang sarap, ibang klase."

This year's array of moon cake fillings include Red Ben, Traditional Lotus (from lotus seeds), Pineapple, Green Tea, Black Sesame Seed Paste, and Mixed Nuts - all carefully prepared by the hotel's resident Chinese chefs. 

A small moon cake costs P156.08 per piece, while a large moon cake costs P438.83 per piece.

The hotel also offers small moon cakes in boxes of 6 at P117.43 and boxes of 8 at P1,343.63, while large moon cakes are available in boxes of 4 at P1,569.83 and deluxe boxes of 8 at P2,700.

Various kinds of moon cakes will be sold at the hotel's main lobby from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily, while boxes will also be sold at the Summer Palace, its premier Chinese restaurant that serves authentic Cantonese food, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. 

The confections are also available at the Celebrations at Shangri-La gift shop at the 2nd floor of Greenbelt 5. abs-cbnNEWS.com. Photo courtesy of the EDSA Shangri-La.

For reservations or orders, please call (+632) 633-8888.