Editing Dim sum (section)

{{Distinguish|Dim sim}}
{{otheruses}}
{{Short description|Chinese cuisine}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{use American English|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox Chinese
| title = Dim sum
| pic = Dim Sum Trang.jpg
| pic2 = Chinese DimSum (9023590541).jpg
| t = {{linktext|點心}}
| s = {{linktext|点心}}
| showflag = jy
| p = diǎnxīn
| tp = diǎn-sin
| w = {{tone superscript|tien3-hsin1}}
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|d|ian|3|.|x|in|1}}
| bpmf = ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄒㄧㄣ
| j = dim2 sam1
| y = dím sām
| ci = {{IPAc-yue|d|im|2|-|s|am|1}}
| h = tiám-sîm
| l = "Touch the heart"
}}

'''Dim sum''' ({{zh|t={{linktext|點心}}|p=diǎn xīn|c=|s={{linktext|点心}}|first=t|j=dim2 sam1}}) is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for [[brunch]].<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=Alan  |last2=Jaine |first2=Tom |last3=Vannithone |first3=Soun |year=2014 |title=The Oxford companion to food |edition=3rd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-19-967733-7|oclc=890807357}}</ref><ref name=":10" />{{page needed | date=March 2025}} Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with [[Cantonese cuisine]], although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuisines. In the tenth century, when the city of Canton ([[Guangzhou]]) began to experience an increase in commercial travel,<ref name=":0" /> many frequented [[teahouses]] for small-portion meals with tea called "''[[yum cha]]''" ([[brunch]]).<ref name=":11" />{{page needed | date=May 2025}}<ref name=":0" />{{page needed | date=May 2025}}<ref name=":13" />{{page needed | date=May 2025}} "''Yum cha''" includes two related concepts.<ref name=":14" /> The first is "[[One bowl with two pieces|jat zung loeng gin]]" ({{zh|  {{linktext|一盅兩件}}}}), which translates literally as "one cup, two pieces". This refers to the custom of serving teahouse customers two delicately made food items, savory or sweet, to complement their tea. The second is ''dim sum'', which translates literally to "touch the heart", the term used to designate the small food items that accompanied the tea.

Teahouse owners gradually added various snacks called dim sum to their offerings. The practice of having tea with dim sum eventually evolved into the modern "''yum cha''".<ref name=":0" /> Cantonese dim sum culture developed rapidly during the latter half of the nineteenth century in Guangzhou.<ref name=":4" /> Cantonese dim sum was originally based on local foods.<ref name=":4" /> As dim sum continued to develop, chefs introduced influences and traditions from other regions of China.<ref name=":4" /> Cantonese dim sum has a very broad range of flavors, textures, cooking styles, and ingredients<ref name=":4" /> and can be classified into regular items, seasonal offerings, weekly specials, banquet dishes, holiday dishes, house signature dishes, and travel-friendly items, as well as breakfast or lunch foods and late-night snacks.<ref name=":4" />

Some estimates claim that there are at least two thousand types of dim sum in total across China, but only about forty to fifty types are commonly sold outside of China.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=What Is Dim Sum? Chinese Dim Sum, Most Popular Dim Sum Dishes |url=https://www.chinaeducationaltours.com/guide/culture-chinese-food-dim-sum.htm |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=China Educational Tours |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":28">{{Cite web |date=2019-02-14 |title=Why dumplings - the ultimate comfort food - are so popular right now |url=https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/food-and-drink/dumplings-trend-recipe-xiaolongbao-london-din-tai-fung-georgian-jewish-257681 |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> There are over one thousand dim sum dishes originating from [[Guangdong]] alone, a total that no other area in China comes even close to matching. In fact, the cookbooks of most Chinese food cultures tend to combine their own variations on dim sum dishes with other local snacks. But that is not the case with Cantonese dim sum, which has developed into a separate branch of cuisine.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" />  

Dim sum restaurants typically have a wide variety of dishes, usually totaling several dozen.<ref name=":16" /><ref name="Dim Sum Guide Glossary">{{Cite web|title=A Visual Glossary for Dim Sum!|url=https://dimsumguide.com/site/all|access-date=2022-02-23|website=Dim Sum Guide |language=en}}</ref> The tea is very important, just as important as the food.<ref name="NYT 1981" /><ref name=":17" /> Many Cantonese restaurants serve dim sum as early as five in the morning,<ref name="Jacobs 2017">{{Cite web|last=Jacobs |first=Harrison |title=Here's how to navigate one of the most epic New York food traditions — 'Dim Sum' in Chinatown|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-dim-sum-best-new-york-city-chinatown-chinese-food-nyc-2017-11|access-date=3 July 2020|website=[[Business Insider]]|archive-date=3 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703183630/https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-dim-sum-best-new-york-city-chinatown-chinese-food-nyc-2017-11|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":18" /> while more traditional restaurants typically serve dim sum until mid-afternoon.<ref name="Jacobs 2017" /><ref name="Time guide" /><ref name="NYT" /> Some restaurants in Hong Kong and Guangdong province even offers dim sum all day till late night.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiens |first=Mark |date=2010-01-06 |title=Eating Cultural Dim Sum in Hong Kong |url=https://migrationology.com/5-conclusions-about-late-night-dim-sum-in-hong-kong/ |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Migrationology - Food Travel Blog |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-06 |title=Very Early or Extremely Late Dim Sum at Sun Hing Restaurant - Foodie |url=https://www.afoodieworld.com/blog/2021/09/06/very-early-or-extremely-late-dim-sum-at-sun-hing-restaurant/ |access-date=2025-02-18 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-30 |title=The Ultimate Guangzhou Food Guide - The Food Ranger |url=https://www.thefoodranger.com/the-ultimate-guangzhou-food-guide/ |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=www.thefoodranger.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayes |first=Janice Leung |date=2018-03-05 |title=19 Best Dim Sum Spots in Hong Kong |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-dim-sum-in-hong-kong |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Condé Nast Traveler |language=en-US}}</ref>  Dim sum restaurants have a unique serving method where servers offer dishes to customers from steam-heated carts.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Phillips 2016" /><ref name=":20" /> It is now commonplace for restaurants to serve dim sum at dinner and sell various dim sum items [[à la carte]] for [[takeout]].<ref name=":19" /> In addition to traditional dim sum, some chefs also create and prepare new fusion-based dim sum dishes.<ref name=":21" /><ref name=":22" /><ref name=":23" /><ref name=":24" /> There are also variations designed for visual appeal on social media, such as dumplings and buns made to resemble animals.<ref name=":25" /><ref name="Andrea Brown">{{Cite web|last=Andrea Brown |date=1 March 2018|title=Piggy buns at Fashion Dim Sum will put a smile on your face|url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/piggy-buns-at-fashion-dim-sum-will-put-a-smile-on-your-face/|access-date=3 September 2020|website=HeraldNet.com |language=en-US |archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120151748/https://www.heraldnet.com/life/piggy-buns-at-fashion-dim-sum-will-put-a-smile-on-your-face/|url-status=live}}</ref>