National Day 2025 is just around the corner, and this year it coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival on October 6—a perfect fusion that infuses the patriotic holiday with traditional charm, turning the Mid-Autumn celebration into a vibrant spectacle while creating an epic 8-day super holiday.
National Day embodies patriotic fervor, toasting the nation’s prosperity and strength. Mid-Autumn Festival is all about family reunions, reflecting boundless love for life and aspirations for a brighter tomorrow.
With the festivals overlapping, the star is, of course, mooncakes. Eating them is a ritual! On Mid-Autumn, they symbolize reunion. Sharing slices means “sharing blessings together.” A full moon mirrors a united family, gathered to cherish those precious moments.
Of course, mooncakes also evoke nostalgia for homeland and distant kin, a heartfelt longing for loved ones and hopes for swift reunions. It’s a way to reminisce, express deep affection, and embody harmonious, inclusive, diverse cultural spirit.
When Mid-Autumn meets National Day, and relatives and friends gather, don’t stop at mooncakes—these 6 must-try dishes are flavorful, nutritious, and packed with even better symbolic meanings.
First Dish: Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs – Step by Step to Success
Pork ribs symbolize “rising step by step,” blessing the nation’s flourishing prosperity and wishing families and careers steady ascents—may life climb ever higher.
Ingredients: 1 lb pork ribs, rock sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, sesame seeds
Method:
- Cut fresh ribs into small segments, soak in water to draw out blood.
- Drain, marinate with salt, cooking wine, light soy, and dark soy.
- Heat oil in a wok, fry ribs over high heat until golden, then remove.
- Add rock sugar to the wok, caramelize on low heat until thick and sticky, add a splash of water, toss in ribs to coat evenly.
- Add warm water to braise until liquid reduces.
- Before serving, stir in chicken essence and sprinkle sesame seeds.
Second Dish: Steamed Perch – Plenty Every Year
Fish sounds like “surplus” in Chinese, so festive fish means abundance year after year, a life of plenty. Steaming keeps it light and grease-free.
Ingredients: 1 perch, green onions, ginger, garlic, salt, vinegar, light soy sauce
Method:
- Clean fresh perch thoroughly, scale, gut, remove gills; score both sides for flavor absorption.
- Marinate with salt, stuff belly with onion and ginger, add cooking wine.
- Boil water in a steamer, add fish, steam on high for about 8 minutes.
- Remove, drain internal water.
- Mince onion, ginger, garlic; sizzle in hot oil and pour over fish.
- Drizzle with soy sauce for steaming fish, garnish with cilantro.
Third Dish: Potato-Braised Chicken – Great Luck and Prosperity
“Chicken” echoes “auspicious” (ji), so holiday chicken heralds good fortune, smooth sailing, and soaring ambitions like wings unfurled.
Ingredients: 3 potatoes, 1 young rooster, green onions, ginger, garlic, salt, light soy sauce, 1 red pepper
Method:
- Clean and chop rooster, blanch in hot water to remove scum, drain.
- Peel and cube potatoes, soak in water to prevent browning.
- Chop onions, ginger, garlic, and red pepper.
- Heat oil in wok, sauté aromatics and add fermented bean paste; toss in chicken, stir-fry over high heat until dry.
- Season with salt and light soy, add potatoes, stir.
- Add warm water to braise until tender.
- Finish with salt and chicken essence for enhanced flavor.
Fourth Dish: Pine Nut Corn – Bounty Overflowing
Fresh corn kernels mingled with pine nuts, ham, and carrot dice create a colorful bounty like treasures on a plate—wishing homes brimming with wealth and joyful, healthy lives.
Ingredients: Corn kernels, half carrot, peas, 1 ham sausage
Method:
- Dice and rinse carrot; rinse corn and peas.
- Peel and dice ham.
- Heat oil in wok, stir-fry carrot dice, add peas and corn, mix well.
- When veggies are cooked, add ham dice, stir.
- Season with salt and light soy sauce before serving.
Fifth Dish: Steamed Hairy Crabs – Fortune Knocking
Mid-Autumn is prime crab season—plump with golden roe, sweet and succulent meat. Hairy crabs symbolize wealth and luck; savoring this “fortune at the door” dish heralds bumper harvests in family and career for the coming year.
Ingredients: Hairy crabs, vinegar, ginger
Method:
- Clean live crabs thoroughly, removing grit.
- Boil water in steamer with rack, add crabs, steam on high for about 10 minutes.
- Remove to plate.
- For dipping sauce, mince ginger, mix with vinegar.
Sixth Dish: Celery-Peanut Salad – Vitality and Longevity
Celery evokes youthful vigor and diligence, while peanuts, the “longevity nuts,” represent elders’ health and endurance. Tossed together, they symbolize harmonious reunions and blissful family bonds.
Ingredients: 1 celery stalk, peanuts, half carrot, green onions, ginger, garlic, salt, sesame oil
Method:
- Rinse peanuts, boil until cooked, cool in cold water, drain.
- Chop celery into segments, dice carrot and blanch briefly; mix with peanuts.
- Mince onions, ginger, garlic; sizzle in hot oil and pour over mix.
- Dress with salt, vinegar, light soy, a touch of sugar; toss evenly.
These dishes are perfect for whipping up during the National Day-Mid-Autumn feast—a family meal that’s more than tasty; it’s laden with blessings and well-wishes, pairing flavor with fortune.
And don’t forget osmanthus wine as an essential sip. Mid-Autumn’s osmanthus bloom pairs perfectly with its floral nose— a fragrant match for the season.
May the motherland prosper, your table ring with laughter, and every bite bring refreshment and joy.
As Mid-Autumn approaches, may the nation thrive, your gatherings brim with cheer, every family reunite in harmony, adding auspicious vibes to the holidays. Wishing smooth sailing, rolling wealth, and endless blessings!
