This Friday marks the arrival of Chuseok, the Korean mid-autumn festival celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Known as “autumn evening,” Chuseok is a significant holiday in South Korea, ranking just behind Seollal, the Lunar New Year, in cultural importance. It is traditionally a time when Koreans gather with family to share a festive meal and pay respects to their ancestors.

In South Korea, many people travel from urban centers such as Seoul back to their rural hometowns during the three-day public holiday. The journeys, often long and congested, are considered an integral part of the holiday experience, as individuals visit family homes or ancestral burial sites. The communal meals commonly feature a variety of traditional dishes, including banchan (side dishes), jeon (savory pancakes and fritters), fish, and an assortment of sweets.

A focal point of the Chuseok feast is songpyeon, half-moon-shaped fresh rice cakes made from a special nonglutinous short-grain rice flour called mepssalgaru. These rice cakes are typically filled with ingredients such as sesame seeds mixed with honey, red bean paste, or sweetened mung bean paste. Songpyeon’s distinct shape and flavors symbolize abundance and good fortune for the coming year.

For many Korean families worldwide, preparing for Chuseok begins days in advance with grocery shopping for traditional ingredients. At Hansol Food, a Korean prepared foods store in Flushing, Queens, business surges during this period as customers stock up on essential holiday foods. While some families choose to make songpyeon at home, others purchase premade versions from local markets or stores like H Mart.

Sarah Nam, a speech pathology student based in Boston, recalls learning to make songpyeon as a child and continues to make them when time allows. She prefers fillings such as cinnamon sugar and sesame seeds or roasted chestnuts, offering a personal twist on the traditional recipes. Ms. Nam views the process as a meaningful way to connect with her heritage and share Korean culture with friends outside the community.

However, making songpyeon at home can present challenges, particularly in sourcing mepssalgaru. This flour differs significantly from glutinous rice flour or mochiko, which are more commonly available but unsuitable for traditional songpyeon. In cases where mepssalgaru is unavailable, cooks sometimes substitute mochiko to create alternative rice cakes, such as chewy black sesame varieties.

Even for those who do not craft songpyeon themselves, the holiday inspires other culinary creations that evoke its flavors and aesthetics. For example, cakes incorporating honey, roasted black sesame seeds, and rice flour capture the essence of songpyeon while offering a modern dessert option. The black sesame topping often forms a distinctive line across the cake, reminiscent of the moon’s shape, reinforcing the festival’s lunar symbolism.

Chuseok continues to serve as a vital cultural touchstone for Koreans worldwide, blending traditional customs with contemporary expressions of heritage through food and family gatherings.