Deep-fried sesame balls (油炸芝麻球/Youzha Zhimaqiu)

Deep-fried sesame balls, a fried sweet dish made of glutinous rice balls coated with sesame seeds, are stuffed with sweetened bean paste, shredded coconut or sesame paste with sugar. They are considered a "lucky food" and are prepared on holidays. To make them, you need to use a strainer to move the rice balls in circles in very hot oil. As the ingredients expand, the action is related to the Chinese character fa, which means fortune, and people believe that deep-fried sesame balls are a kind of auspicious food that will bring in gold and silver.