When the cake was opened and the message read，an uprising was unleashed which successfully routed the Mongolians. It happened at the time of the full moon，which，some say，explains why mooncakes are eaten at this time.

Mooncakes are usually stamped with Chinese characters indicating the name of the bakery and the type of filling used. Some bakeries will even stamp them with your family name so that you can give personalised ones to friends and family.

They are usually presented in boxes of four which indicate the four phases of the moon. Traditional mooncakes are made with melted lard，but today vegetable oil is more often used in the interests of health.

Mooncakes are not for the diet-conscious as they are loaded with calories. The best way to wash down one of these sticky cakes is with a cup of Chinese tea，especially Jasmine or Chrysanthemum tea，which aids the digestion.