That lovely dish known as the Hakka Marble or Abacus noodles

Hakka Abacus noodles are a delightful invention of the Hakka folk. The reason why it is named as such is because it resembles the Abacus wooden beads, used in the days of yore, for accounting and calculating, much like how one would use a calculator or their mobile phones these days.

The Hakka Abacus noodles, or known in Chinese as “suan pan ji” is considered one of the hallmarks of good Hakka cooking, as it is made by hand, is time consuming and looks really pretty once it is done and served on the plate.

The mere fact that its production is labor intensive, the abacus noodles are usually reserved for household consumption. Occasionally you will find it at a street-side food stall but never in large quantities. Chinese restaurants shy away from this dish because it doesn’t make economic sense to sell it. However, one restaurant has been serving the Hakka Abacus successfully for several years now, giving the recipe an unusual twist and calling their signature dish, the Hakka Marble.

The abacus beads are really the Chinese equivalent of the Italian gnocchi. The texture is pretty similar, but the taste differs a little. At this restaurant called Hakka Marble, the dough is made from a mixture of pumpkin (giving the beads that gorgeous orange color) instead of the traditional yam/taro root (which lends a pale purple color), and tapioca flour. It is then rolled long and by hand, little sections are broken off, and the thumb is used to place the depression right in the centre of that little disc of dough.

The beads of dough is then boiled till it floats before being drained and then stir fried with minced pork, Chinese mushrooms, black wood fungus, tiny thin squares of cuttlefish, chopped coriander and spring onions. The process is tedious and must be done by hand, and each abacus bead or ‘marble’ must be perfectly symmetrical – that’s the cook’s true skill in making this Hakka noodles. Also the other added ingredients need to be cut down to size, so that they all harmoniously add flavour to the dish. Here you see the man laboriously cutting down the cuttle fish to size – square symmetrical pieces that will later imbibe the sauces and add flavour to the fabulous tasting Hakka Marble.

These round Hakka Marbles have a chewy texture and a shape that helps it catch the flavorful sauces and mince meat, in the center of the depression. Totally addictive and definitely the pièce de résistance at this shop. We highly recommend you visit this restaurant for these chewy, delectable morsels of their Abacus Noodles.