Aromatic, savoury and satisfyingly chewy, yam abacus seeds or suan pan zi is a traditional dish that comes from the Hakka dialect group and are essentially thick discs of steamed or boiled yam and tapioca dough. Often served during the Lunar New Year (they signify wealth), they are then usually stir-fried with the likes of dried shrimps, black fungus and mushrooms.
But theyβre also a fast-disappearing heritage food, which can be attributed to the fact that theyβre time-consuming to make. Nevertheless, there are still a handful of places you can find them, and hereβs where to look.