Avoid Bad Batches! Complete Guide to Choosing Sesame Balls

　　Sesame balls （also known as ma tuan or jin deui） are a beloved traditional snack. Whether you‘re purchasing for a restaurant， wholesale distribution， or home consumption， knowing how to distinguish high-quality products is essential. This guide provides a complete framework for judging quality across four dimensions： sensory evaluation， craftsmanship， ingredients， and labeling.

　　I. Sensory Evaluation： Assessing “Color， Form， Flavor， and Texture”

　　1. Observe the Color

　　High Quality： Sesame seeds are evenly distributed on the surface. The color is a natural light golden or pale brown with moderate sheen. No localized charring or pale spots.

　　Low Quality： Color is too dark （indicating potentially high oil temperature or excessive refrying）， significant sesame seed loss， or presence of dark spots/oil stains.

　　2. Examine the Form

　　High Quality： Round， full， and plump shape without obvious dents or collapse. Uniform size with good expansion.

　　Low Quality： Irregular shape， cracking， leaking filling， deflated appearance， or inconsistent sizes.

　　3. Taste the Flavor

　　High Quality： The skin has a pure glutinous rice aroma and toasted sesame fragrance. No rancid or off-odors from oil. Filling is moderately sweet—red bean paste should be smooth or have a clear molten center if applicable.

　　Low Quality： Greasy， stale oil taste， or excessively sweet and cloying. Filling may taste sour/rancid or have an overpowering artificial flavor.

　　4. Judge the Texture

　　High Quality：

　　Outer Shell： Crispy， thin， and shatters with a light sound when bitten.

　　Middle Layer： The glutinous rice layer is soft， chewy， and airy.

　　Inner Filling： Well-integrated with the skin， evenly warmed through.

　　Low Quality：

　　Shell is thick， hard like a “tire，” and becomes tough when cool.

　　Interior is sticky， dry， or overly wet and gummy.

　　Skin separates from filling; filling is cold （indicating inadequate reheating）。

　　II. Craftsmanship & Ingredients： Investigating “Inner Qualities”

　　1. Trace Core Ingredients

　　Glutinous Rice Flour： High-quality products often use flour with high amylopectin content， ensuring good expansion and preventing a hard core after cooling.

　　Sesame Seeds： Plump white or black sesame seeds should be used， offering robust aroma after toasting—not stale seeds.

　　Oil Used： Preferably vegetable oil （e.g.， palm， soybean）。 Factories should have strict oil change protocols. Inquire with suppliers for details.

　　2. Key Production Process Points

　　Expansion Effect： High-quality sesame balls expand evenly， with a uniform honeycomb-like hollow structure inside. Check by cutting one open.

　　Oil Content： Well-made products have moderate oil content. They should not leave large grease stains on absorbent paper.

　　Filling-to-Skin Ratio： Balanced proportion， typically filling constitutes 15%-25%. Too much filling can cause breakage.

　　III. Packaging & Labeling： Deciphering the “Identity”

　　1. Read the Label

　　Product Type： Clearly states “quick-frozen cooked” or “quick-frozen raw，” which affects your reheating method.

　　Ingredients List： Components are listed in descending order by weight. Be wary of excessively long additive lists （e.g.， too many leavening agents， thickeners， preservatives）。

　　Nutrition Facts Panel： Pay attention to fat and sodium content; opt for products with lower values.

　　Production Date & Shelf Life： Ensure freshness， especially for frozen products’ storage duration.

　　2. Check Certifications

　　Manufacturer Info： Choose products with a clear SC Food Production License number.

　　Certification Marks： Certifications like HACCP or ISO22000 often indicate stricter quality control.

　　IV. Selection Priorities for Different Scenarios

　　Quickly verify these points when purchasing or inspecting goods：

　　Is the color evenly golden without charring？

　　Is the shape round and plump without cracks？

　　Is the texture crispy outside and chewy inside， not hard or sticky？

　　Is the taste fresh， without stale oil flavor？

　　Is the ingredients list clean with few additives？

　　Is the packaging intact with complete information？

　　Is the frozen product solid with little frost？ （Excess frost may indicate thaw-refreeze cycles）

　　 Identifying high-quality sesame balls is a skill combining sensory experience and rational analysis. Master the four-character principle： Look， Taste， Ask， Check—Look at appearance， Taste for flavor and texture， Ask about ingredients and process， Check labels and certifications. This will enable you to accurately select premium products from numerous options， making informed choices whether for business or culinary enjoyment.