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Legend has it that during the Yuan dynasty when China was ruled by the Mongolians (AD 1271-1368), mooncakes were used by the Chinese as a means of passing messages to co-ordinate a rebellion to overthrow the invaders.
As the  15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar falls today,  history is the least on our minds.   On the contrary,  we have an overwhelming variety of mooncakes to feast upon during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
But  the advice from health professionals is watch how much you eat.
The Department of Health provides some sobering information
The calorific value of one double yolk lotus seed paste mooncake is equivalent to  a plate of rice with pork and sweetcorn sauce,  a bowl of vegetable soup and  a glass of iced milk tea.
One double yolk lotus seed paste mooncake contains:
as much as 800 calories, which provide more than a third of an adult's daily energy requirements
four  duck egg yolks. Each egg yolk contains 600mg cholesterol and exceeds an adult's daily limit by half.
2-3 tablespoons of oil
72g sugar, which works out to around 5-6 tablespoons of sugar
If  this isn't enough to stop you from overindulging, the department's  dietitians advise that we shouldn't eat more than a  quarter of a regular-sized mooncake each time and no more than three  times a week.
There's no need to feel deprived though. There are other traditional foods that can easily fill that sugar gap, such as  apples, pomegranates and pomelo. They are packed with antioxidants, fibre and other important vitamins and minerals.
Rubbish facts!
Friends of the Earth estimates that 3,000,000 mooncake tin boxes go to landfills each year. If piled up on top of each other they would reach  152,400 metres.
The cost of disposing mooncake tin boxes during the Mid-Autumn Festival is HK$622,500
Recovering waste tin boxes will earn recyclers HK$150,000
So be responsible, recycle your tin boxes. For more information, visit www.foe.org.hk



The madness of mooncakes