Sesame Balls (Jin Deui): Crisp, Hollow and Sweet

Sesame balls, called jin deui (煎堆) in Cantonese, are golden spheres of glutinous rice dough rolled in sesame seeds and fried until they puff up. Inside the crisp, nutty shell is a thin layer of soft, chewy dough and, in most dim sum kitchens, a spoonful of sweet red bean paste. They are one of the few sweets that appear on a dim sum table from the start of the meal, and children tend to find them first.

A very old fried cake

Fried dough balls have a long history in China. Many food writers trace jin deui to the Tang dynasty, when a fried cake called ludui (碌䭔) is said to have been sold in the capital, Chang'an, and mentioned in poetry of the period. The story usually continues that the snack travelled south with migrants and settled in Guangdong, where it took its Cantonese name. Details of that journey are hard to pin down, but the idea of the sesame-coated fried ball as an old, widely shared food is not in doubt.

Today versions turn up across the Chinese-speaking world and beyond. In northern China the same snack is often called maqiu or matuan. In Southeast Asia and in Chinese bakeries around the world, it appears under local names, sometimes stuffed, sometimes plain, sometimes the size of a fist.

How the shell puffs

The magic of a sesame ball is its hollow centre, and it is the hardest part to get right.

• The dough is made from glutinous rice flour, sugar and water, kneaded until smooth and soft.
• The filling is wrapped inside, the ball sealed and rolled through damp sesame seeds.
• The fry begins in oil that is warm rather than very hot, so the dough has time to soften and stretch.
• The swell comes as the cook keeps the balls moving, pressing them lightly against the side of the pan so steam inside pushes the shell outward.
• The finish is a final burst of heat to set and colour the shell.

Fry too hot and the outside hardens before the ball can expand; too cool and it soaks up oil. A good sesame ball is round, evenly golden, light for its size and not greasy to the touch.

A wish for a full house

In Cantonese households, jin deui is a Lunar New Year food. A well-known saying runs 煎堆碌碌，金銀滿屋 — "as the sesame balls roll and swell, gold and silver fill the house." The ball's swelling shape stands for growing prosperity, and in some regions families once fried large batches together before the holiday, sometimes making balls far bigger than the dim sum size.

You will still see them on festive tables and in bakery windows in Vancouver each winter. At dim sum, they are simply a year-round pleasure.

How to enjoy them

Sesame balls are best eaten soon after they arrive, while the shell still crackles.

• Mind the filling. Red bean paste holds heat; a short pause before the first bite is wise.
• Tear, don't cut. Pull one apart by hand or with chopsticks to keep the shell from collapsing.
• Balance the table. Their sweetness sits nicely between savoury steamed dishes, or with a pot of oolong or pu'er tea at the end.

Sesame balls at Neptune Palace

Our Sesame Balls with Red Bean Paste (芝麻豆沙大煎堆, menu 122) are on the dim sum menu at both Neptune Palace locations, in Vancouver at Marine Gateway and in Burnaby at The Amazing Brentwood. They are made in-house and fried to order. The dish is marked on our menu as containing peanuts, so please mention any allergy when you order.

If you have a sweet tooth, pair them with our egg tarts or the honeycomb rice flour cake for a small dessert course. Dim sum is served every day until 3pm, and weekend tables are easiest to secure by calling ahead.

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