This rare traditional Hakka dish (Abacus Seed or Suan Pan Zi) is eaten during festive celebrations like Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival for prosperity. It is known to have originated from the Hakka district of Dabu, in Guangdong, China. Some prepared this prosperity dish to humor the old folks during festive, as it signifies that they will have an abundance of wealth to count up on their abacus for the year.
Edmund specially ordered this Abacus seeds so that I could try and it was delicious. A plate of Hakka Abacus seeds cost $3.50. Those who prefer chewy taste should try this! Its is round in shape and fried with minced meat with little gravy to go along with the seeds. After eating such a unique dish, I decided to check out other places that actually served such dish. But apparently, I was told that there issit out there now. Pretty sad. I also read upon that this Hakka dish is known for being a 'difficult' dish. The multiple steps of having to steam, mould the dough seeds, boil and then fry them can be very time-consuming. Also, the dough to form need to have the right consistency to have a slight 'spring' or chewiness in texture. A well-formed abacus seed should be no bigger than the size of an abacus bead, smooth and shiny (when cooked) with no cracks.
