At the table
Break or cut the ball into smaller pieces and let any filling cool. Chew the sticky rice dough well.
Contains sesame; fillings may contain peanuts or other allergens. Ask about the filling and frying oil. The filling may be hot and the dough is chewy.
Lotus-seed paste and red-bean paste are filling options. Guangdong also has local forms such as flattened Jiujiang jian dui; shape and filling are not uniform.
The crisp shell and chewy sticky-rice center require careful chewing and may contain hot filling; offer only a small cooled piece if the child manages sticky textures.
Recipes vary. Ask the restaurant about ingredients and serving before you order.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Lotus-seed paste and red-bean paste are filling options. Guangdong also has local forms such as flattened Jiujiang jian dui; shape and filling are not uniform.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Sweet and nutty from sesame.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Crisp outside with chewy dough inside.
- How it’s made
- Shape the dough around a filling or leave it hollow, coat with sesame and deep-fry.
Lotus-seed paste and red-bean paste are filling options. Guangdong also has local forms such as flattened Jiujiang jian dui; shape and filling are not uniform.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Guangdong.
About this regional connection
Guangdong: Guangdong association; not an exclusive origin claim.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有煎堆吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A Lunar New Year wish in a sesame ball
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
In Cantonese New Year wishes, rolling jian dui stand for gold and silver filling the home. Frying these sesame-coated treats ahead of the holiday was part of festive preparations in Zengcheng. An older custom avoided lighting the cooking fire during the first three days of the new year. The round snack thus carries a wish for prosperity as well as a place on the holiday table.