Fast Food [快餐]
Given the number of times tea is poured in a meal, the tapping is a timesaver in loud restaurants or lively company, as an individual being served might be speaking to someone else or have food in their mouth. Leaving the pot lid open is another common way of attracting a server’s attention to refill the pot.
This is said to be analogous to the ritual of bowing to someone in appreciation. The origin of this gesture is described anecdotally: an unidentified Emperor went to yum cha with his friends, outside the palace; not wanting to attract attention to himself, the Emperor was disguised. While at yum cha, the Emperor poured his companion some tea, which was a great honour. The companion, not wanting to give away the Emperor’s identity in public by bowing, instead tapped his index and middle finger on the table as sign of appreciation.
It is customary to pour tea for others during dimsum before filling one’s own cup. A custom unique to the Cantonese is to thank the person pouring the tea by tapping the bent index finger if you are single, or by tapping both the index and middle finger if you are married, which symbolises ‘bowing’ to them.
The drinking of tea is as important to dimsum as the food. A popular tea which is said to aid in digestion is bolay (po lai, pu erh), which is a strong, fermented tea. Chrysanthemum, oolong (wu lung) and green tea can be served as well.
Pricing [價格]
Dimsum can be purchased from major grocery stores in most countries with a Chinese population. These dimsum can be easily cooked by steaming or microwaving. Major grocery stores in Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Mainland China, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Australia, United States and Canada have a variety of dimsum stocked at the shelves. These include dumplings, siu maai, bau, cheong fun, lo bak go and steamed spare ribs. In Singapore, as well as other countries, dimsum can also be purchased from convenience stores, coffee shops and other eateries. There is also halal certified dimsum available, with chicken taking the place of pork which in addition to Singapore is very popular in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
Traditional dimsum includes various types of steamed buns such as cha siu baau, dumplings and rice noodle rolls (cheong fun), which contain a range of ingredients, including beef, chicken, pork, prawns and vegetarian options. Many dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green vegetables, roasted meats, congee porridge and other soups. Dessert dimsum is also available and many places offer the customary egg tart. Having a meal in a Chinese teahouse or a dimsum restaurant is known as yum cha (飲茶), literally “drinking tea”, as tea is typically served with dimsum.
Dimsum can be cooked by steaming and frying, among other methods. The serving sizes are usually small and normally served as three or four pieces in one dish. It is customary to order family style, sharing dishes among all members of the dining party. Because of the small portions, people can try a wide variety of food.
The pricing generally follows a simple price system of small, medium and large dishes, which simplifies everything for the customers.
4 Pieces 3 Pieces 2 Pieces 1 Portion
Fried Steamed Roasted Boiled
Mixed Chicken Seafood
Dessert Pork Vegetarian
History [歷史]
Some stalls serve “street dimsum” which usually consists of dumplings or meatballs steamed in a large container, but served on a bamboo skewer. The customer can dip the whole skewer into a sauce bowl and eat while standing.
Dimum is usually linked with the older tradition of yum cha (tea tasting), which has its roots in travellers on the ancient Silk Road needing a place to rest. These teahouses were established along the roadside. Rural farmers, exhausted after working hard in the fields, would also go to teahouses for a relaxing afternoon of tea. At first, it was considered inappropriate to combine tea with food, because people believed it would lead to excessive weight gain. People later discovered that tea can aid in digestion, so teahouse owners began adding various snacks. The unique culinary art of dimsum originated with the Cantonese in southern China, who over the centuries transformed Yum Cha from a relaxing respite to a loud and happy dining experience. In Hong Kong, and in most cities and towns in Guangdong province, many restaurants start serving dimsum as early as five in the morning. It is a tradition for the elderly to gather to eat dimsum after morning exercises, often enjoying the morning newspapers. For many in southern China, yum cha is treated as a weekend family day. Consistent with this tradition, dimsum restaurants typically only serve dimsum until mid-afternoon and serve other kinds of Cantonese cuisine in the evening. Nowadays, various dimsum items are even sold as take-out for students and office workers on the go.
Dimsum dishes can be ordered from a menu or sometimes the food is wheeled around on a trolley by servers. Traditionally, the cost of the meal is calculated based on the number, size, and sometimes color of the dishes left on the patron’s table (more below). Some modern dimsum restaurants record the dishes on a bill at the table. Not only is this tidier, it also prevents patrons from cheating by concealing or stealing the plates. Servers in some restaurants use distinct stamps so that sales statistics for each server can be recorded.
Tea Tasting [飲茶]
Certain kinds of instant dimsum have come onto the market in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore. People can enjoy snacks after a 3-minute defrosting and reheating of the instant dimsum in a microwave oven. Dimsum is a varied range of small dishes (a concept similar to tapas) eaten for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea, as part of the yum cha dining experience. Dishes are usually steamed or fried and may be savoury or sweet. They include steamed buns such as char siu bau, assorted dumplings, siu mai, and rice noodle rolls, which contain a range of ingredients, including beef, chicken, pork, prawns and vegetarian options. Typical desserts include egg tarts, sai mai lo (tapioca pudding) and mango pudding. Many dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green vegetables, roasted meats, congee porridge, and soups. Dimsum can be cooked by steaming and frying, among other methods. The dim sum are usually small and normally served as three or four pieces in one dish. It is customary to order family style, sharing dishes among all members of the dining party. Because of the small portions people can try a wide variety of food. In the past, there were more places with dimsum wheeled around on trolleys, but nowadays one is more likely to order from a menu. Traditionally, the cost of the meal was calculated based on the number and size of dishes left on the patron’s table at the end. In modern dim sum restaurants, dim sum servers mark orders by stamping a card on the table. Servers in some restaurants even use different stamps so that sales statistics for each server can be recorded.
Cuisine [美食]
Since individual dimsum dishes are typically portioned for 3-4 small servings, patrons will typically order many different dishes over the course of a meal. Larger tables may even order two or three plates of a particular dish so that everyone can have a serving.
Dimsum [ 點心]
Dimsum [美食]
Dimsum [ 點心 ]
Dimsum consists of small dishes that are predominently fried or steamed. The serving sizes are usually small and normally served as three or four pieces in one dish. It is customary to order family style, sharing dishes among all members of the dining party. Because of the small portions, people can try a wider variety
Dimsum are organised into several categories, ranging from the way they are cooked to the main ingredients use in the dishes, which clarifies the variety of dishes available by projecting a interesting overview of the selection of the most popular dimsum dishes in an unconventional infographics format.
Prawn Dumpling [燒賣] Siu Mai
Savoury Stuffed Dumpling [鹹水餃] Haam Sui Gok
Roast Pork Buns [叉燒包] Cha Siu Bao
Shanghai Steamed Buns [上海小籠包] Siu Lung bao
Phoenix talons [鳳爪] Gai Guk
Small steamed dumplings with either pork, prawns or both inside a thin wheat flour wrapper. Usually topped off with crab roe and mushroom.
Savoury stuffed-dumpling, a deep fried oval-shaped dumpling made with rice-flour and filled with pork and chopped vegetables. The rice-flour surrounding is sweet and sticky, while the inside is slightly salty.
The most popular bun with a Cantonese barbecued pork filling. It can be either steamed to be fluffy and white or baked with a light sugar glaze to produce a smooth golden-brown crust.
These dumplings are filled with meat or seafood and are famous for their flavor and rich broth inside. These dumplings are originally Shanghainese so they are not considered traditional Cantonese dim sum. They are typically sold with pork as a filling.
These are chicken feet, deep fried, boiled, marinated in a black bean sauce and then steamed. This results in a texture that is light and fluffy (due to the frying), while moist and tender. Fung zau are typically dark red in color.
Steamed Beefball [牛肉球] Gnau Yuk Yuin
Steamed Pork [排骨] Paai gwat
Roast Pork [叉燒] Cha Siu
Shrimp Dumpling [蝦餃] Ha Gau
Chiu-chao Style Dumplings [潮州粉果] Chiu-Chao Fun Guoi
Finely-ground beef is shaped into balls and then steamed with preserved orange peel and served on top of a thin bean-curd skin.
Steamed spare ribs with douchi or fermented black beans and sliced chilli.
Spare ribs that are roasted red.
A delicate steamed dumpling with whole or chopped-up shrimp filling and thin wheat starch skin.
A dumpling that contains peanuts, garlic, chives, pork, dried shrimp and Chinese mushrooms in a thick dumpling wrapper made from glutinous rice flour. It is usually served with a small dish of chilli oil.
Northern Chinese Style Dumpling [鍋貼] Gau zi
Lotus Leaf Rice [糯米雞] Lo Mai Gai
Congee [粥] Juk
Flaky Pork Pastry [叉燒酥] Chaar Siw So
Taro Dumpling [芋角] Wu Gok
Northern Chinese style of dumpling with pork and cabbage filling.
Glutinous rice is wrapped in a lotus leaf into a triangular or rectangular shape. It contains egg yolk, dried scallop, mushroom, water chestnut and either pork or chicken. These ingredients are steamed allowing the flavour of the leaf to infuse with the ingredients inside.
A thick, sticky rice porridge served with different savory items such as pork or chicken.
A flaky pastry filled with Char Siu (spare ribs that are roasted red) inside.
Taro dumpling (芋角 wu gok): This is made with mashed taro, stuffed with diced shiitake mushrooms, shrimp and pork, deep-fried in crispy batter.
Crispy Fried Squid [魷魚鬚] Yau Yu So
Spring roll [春捲] Chun Guen
Tofu Skin Roll [腐皮捲] Fu Pei Guen
Turnip cake [蘿蔔糕] Lo Bak Go
Taro Cake [芋頭糕] Wu Tao Go
Battered squid and deep fried. A variation of this dish may be prepared with a salt and pepper mix. In some dim sum restaurants, octopus is used instead of squid.
A roll consisting of various types of vegetables — such as sliced carrot, cabbage, and chinese mushrooms.
A roll made of Tofu skin, often accompanied with a selection of sauces.
Cakes are made from mashed daikon radish mixed with bits of dried shrimp and pork sausage that are steamed and then cut into slices and pan-fried.
The pan fried square taro cake, this is semi-crunchy on the outside and medium-soft on the inside, often compared as the denser version of the turnip cake.
Water Chestnut Cake [馬蹄糕] Maa Tai Go
Egg Tart [蛋撻] Daan Taat
Matuan [煎堆] Jin Deau
Tofu Pudding [豆腐花] Dou Fu Fa
Mango pudding [芒果布甸] Mong Guo Bo Din
Cakes made of water chestnut. It is mostly seethrough and clear. Some restaurants also serve a variation of water chestnut cake made with bamboo juice.
Composed of a base made from either a flaky puff pastry type dough or a type of non-flaky cookie dough with an egg custard filling, which is then baked.
A chewy dough filled with red bean paste, rolled in sesame seeds, and deep fried.
A dessert consisting of silky tofu served with a sweet ginger or jasmine flavored syrup.
A sweet, rich mango-flavoured pudding usually with large chunks of fresh mango; often served with a topping of evaporated milk.