The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is widely celebrated by the Chinese. In the olden days, it was a time to celebrate the harvest together. It’s a time when families gather for dinner while admiring the full moon. Whether you’re a festive person or not, it’s hard to resist joining in the fun of carrying lanterns, drinking osmanthus tea, and enjoying delicious mooncakes or pomelo with loved ones!

Today, there are even more ways to celebrate this festival! In Taiwan, a new tradition has emerged for the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the coolness of the night, Taiwanese families gather for a BBQ under the full moon. You’ll often find that most BBQ restaurants in Taiwan are fully booked during this season! Also, you’ll find employees at other F&B chains set up electric BBQ hot plates outside their stores, taking turns to enjoy the food while serving customers at the same time!

After filling their bellies, many people gather outdoors for a walk and to admire the moon in the cool autumn breeze. Streets are brightly lit with colorful lantern decorations. The elderly often sit on their porches with a can of beer in hand, discussing life’s joys and sorrows. Meanwhile, the younger ones run around with lanterns, while older children buy fireworks to light up the sky with vibrant colors. You’d see many holding sparklers, creating light patterns and taking aesthetic Instagram photos.

So how did the Taiwan BBQ tradition come about? 

Surprisingly, the idea was invented by a Taiwanese barbecue sauce manufacturer in 1986. They promoted their sauce through a series of advertisements, encouraging people to barbecue on this day using their special sauce. The brand name, 万家香, which translates directly to "The Fragrance of Ten Thousand Families," introduced their iconic slogan, “一家烤肉，万家香.” This literally means “When one family barbecues, ten thousand neighbouring families will smell it,” emphasising how their BBQ sauce makes the meat so enticing that its aroma reaches thousands of families.

Since then, the advertisement has had such an impact that many Taiwanese now gather to enjoy BBQ with the sauce every Mid-Autumn Festival. The trend became so significant that even the government opened riverside parks to encourage people to barbecue there before COVID-19 hit.

Photo credit: Miss Foodie.TW on Shopee SG

Today, you can still purchase this legendary BBQ sauce from Taiwan or on Shopee. If you’re planning a trip to Taiwan, don’t miss the chance to experience this unique cultural tradition firsthand. For those staying in Singapore, you can savour the Taiwanese flavours at local BBQ spots like BBQ Box or by booking a pit at East Coast Park. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

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