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 shrimp, black fungus and mushrooms.
But they’re also a fast-disappearing heritage food, which can be attributed to the fact that they’re time-consuming to make. But there are still a handful of places you can find them, and here’s where to look.