Din Tai Fung-Inspired Black Sesame Lava Balls (Buchi)

When all you want is some good ol’ buchi for merienda or dessert, you can now spend an afternoon making them yourself instead of looking for the nearest restaurant that has the filling you crave. We went with black sesame, a flavor we find to be somewhat niche and severely underrated.

For this recipe though, patience is key—you have to chill the filling so that it will be easier to form and fry. While frying, make sure to fry it in deep oil, and constantly move the buchi so that it doesn’t burn, because the exterior does burn quite easily.