Dim sum

Dim sum (Template:Zh) is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch.<ref name=":9">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":10" />Template:Page needed 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" />Template:Page needed<ref name=":0" />Template:Page needed<ref name=":13" />Template:Page needed "Yum cha" includes two related concepts.<ref name=":14" /> The first is "jat zung loeng gin" (Template:Zh), 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">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":28">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</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">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</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">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</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>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</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">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Etymology

The original meaning of the term "dim sum" remains unclear and contested.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Some references state that the term originated in the Eastern Jin dynasty (317 AD–420 AD).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Su 2011">Template:Cite book</ref> According to one legend, to show soldiers gratitude after battles, a general had civilians make buns and cakes to send to the front lines. "Gratitude" or 點點心意 (Template:Zh), later shortened to Template:Wikt-lang, of which {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is the Cantonese pronunciation, came to represent dishes made in a similar fashion.

Some versions date the legend to the Southern Song dynasty (960–1279) after the term's earliest attestation in the Book of Tang (Template:Zh).<ref name="Su 2011" /> Written in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–979), the book uses dim sum as a verb instead: 「治妝未畢, 我未及餐, 爾且可點心」(Template:Zh), which translates to "I have not finished preparing myself and am not ready for a proper meal; therefore, you can treat yourself to some small snacks."<ref name="Su 2011" /> In this context, "dim sum" means "to barely fill your stomach".<ref name="Su 2011" /> Dim sum dishes are usually associated with "yum cha" (Template:Zh), which is known as the Cantonese brunch tradition.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":8">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web

}}</ref> Chinese food historian Yan-kit So has described dim sum as:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":10">Template:Cite book</ref>

Literally translated as "so close to the heart", they are, in reality, a large range of hors d'oeuvres Cantonese people traditionally enjoy in restaurants (previously teahouses) for breakfast and lunch but never for dinner, washed down with tea. "Let's go yum cha" (to drink tea) is understood among the Cantonese to mean going to a restaurant for dim sum; such is the twin linkage between the food and the beverage.

Cuisine

There are at least two thousand types of dim sum in total across China,<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":28" /> and over one thousand available in Guangdong alone.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":26">Template:Cite book</ref> Dim sum are usually eaten as breakfast or brunch.<ref name="Time guide">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="NYT">Template:Cite news</ref> 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, travel-friendly, as well as breakfast or lunch foods and late night snacks.<ref name=":4" />

The subtropical climate of the southeast quadrant of Guangdong partly influences dim sum's portion size.<ref name=":4" /> It can cause a decrease in appetite,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> so that people prefer eating scaled-down meals throughout the day rather than the customary three large meals.<ref name=":4" /> Teahouses in Guangzhou served "three teas and two meals," which included lunch and dinner, and breakfast, afternoon and evening teas with dim sum.<ref name=":4" />

Many dim sum dishes are made of seafood, chopped meats, or vegetables wrapped in dough or thin wrappings and steamed, deep-fried, or pan-fried.<ref name="Asia Society">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A traditional dim sum brunch includes various types of steamed buns, such as cha siu bao (a steamed bun filled with barbecue pork), rice or wheat dumplings, and rice noodle rolls that contain a range of ingredients, including beef, chicken, pork, prawns, and vegetarian options.<ref name="Spruce Eats2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Dim Sum Guide">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Many dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green vegetables, stuffed eggplant, stuffed green peppers, roasted meats, congee and other soups.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dessert dim sum is also available and can be ordered at any time since there is not a set sequence for the meal.<ref name="Spoon Uni 2014" /><ref name="Epicurious etiquette" />

It is customary to order "family-style", sharing the small dishes consisting of three or four pieces of dim sum among all members of the dining party.<ref name="Time guide" /><ref name="NYT" /><ref name="Millson 2017">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Epicurious etiquette">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Small portion sizes allow people to try a wide variety of food.<ref name="NYT" />

Dishes

Dim sum restaurants typically have a wide variety of dishes, usually several dozen.<ref name=":16">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Dumplings

Name	Image	Chinese	Description
Shrimp dumpling	File:Ha Gow (Cantonese Shrimp Dumplings).jpeg	lang}}; haa1 gaau2)	steamed dumpling with shrimp filling. <ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Teochew dumpling	File:Chaozhoufenguo.jpg	(Template:Zh)	steamed dumpling with peanuts, garlic, Chinese chives, pork, dried shrimp, and Chinese mushrooms.<ref name="Stone 2009 p. 22">Template:Cite book</ref>
Chive dumpling	File:Food (27942342621).jpg	(Template:Zh)	steamed dumpling with Chinese chives.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Xiaolongbao	File:HK 灣仔 Wan Chai 柯布連道 30號 Obrien Road shop 三六九飯店 369 Restaurant Shanghai Food diner February 2019 SSG 20.jpg	Template:Zh	dumplings containing a rich broth and filled with meat or seafood.<ref>古時面皮中有餡之物方稱爲饅頭。見曾维华，〈古代的馒头〉，《上海师范大学学报（哲学社会科学版）》1995年第2期，页157。</ref>
Tangbao	File:开封第一楼小笼包.JPG	Template:Zh	soup-filled steamed buns
Guotie	File:Noodlecat - Lee Anne Wong - "Lucky Dumpring Jiao Zi" (6739677033).jpg	Template:Zh	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Shark fin dumpling	File:Shark fin dumplings, Holiday Restaurant, Semarang, 2014-06-19.jpg	Template:Zh	steamed dumplings with shrimp, crab sticks, shiitake and straw mushrooms.
Shumai	File:HK SW 上環 Sheung Wan 星月樓 Sky Cuisine Restaurant 飲早茶 morning tea meal steamed Cantonese shrimp shumai April 2021 SS2 09.jpg	Template:Zh	steamed dumplings with pork and prawns, usually topped off with crab roe and mushroom.<ref name="Hsiung">Hsiung, Deh-Ta. Simonds, Nina. Lowe, Jason. [2005] (2005). The food of China: a journey for food lovers. Bay Books. Template:ISBN. p 38.</ref>
Taro dumpling	File:Fried taro cake.jpg	Template:Zh	deep-fried dumpling made with mashed taro and stuffed with diced mushrooms, shrimp and pork.<ref name="chinabaike">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Haam seui gok	File:Salty Pastry 鹹水角 Tim Ho Wan, the Dim-Sum Specialists, Sham Shui Po 添好運點心專門店, 深水埗 SML.20120820.G12.00097 (7885046796).jpg	Template:Zh	deep-fried dumpling with a slightly savory filling of pork and chopped vegetables in a sweet and sticky wrapping.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Dumpling soup	File:2016 0716 Guan Tong Gao.jpg	Template:Zh	soup with one or two big dumplings.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Wonton	File:Shaxian County snacks - wonton.jpg	Template:Zh	dumpling filled with ground pork and shrimp

Rolls

Name	Image	Chinese	Description
Spring roll	File:춘권.jpg	Template:Zh	a deep fried roll with various sliced vegetables (such as carrots, cabbage, mushroom and wood ear fungus) and sometimes meat.<ref name="yeinjee">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Tofu skin roll	File:09 Fu Pei Guen - tofu skin roll - East Harbor Dim Sum.jpg	Template:Zh	a roll made of tofu skin filled with various meats and sliced vegetables.<ref name="Hsiung2">Hsiung, Deh-Ta. Simonds, Nina. Lowe, Jason. [2005] (2005). The food of China: a journey for food lovers. Bay Books. Template:ISBN. p35.</ref>
Fresh bamboo roll	File:HK dim sum food - streamed 蒸鮮竹卷芋頭 Feb-2014 MCK.jpg	Template:Zh	a roll made of tofu skin filled with minced pork and bamboo shoot, typically served in an oyster sauce broth.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Four-treasure chicken roll	File:雞扎.jpg	Template:Zh	a roll made of tofu skin filled with chicken, Jinhua ham, fish maw (Template:Zh), and Chinese mushroom.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Cifantuan	File:CiFanTuan.png	Template:Zh	steamed glutinous rice rolls
Rice noodle roll	File:Dried shrimp rice noodle roll.jpg	Template:Zh	steamed rice noodles with or without meat or vegetable filling. Popular fillings include: beef, dough fritter, shrimp and barbecued pork. Often served with sweetened soy sauce.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Zhaliang	File:Zhaliang.jpg	Template:Zh	steamed rice noodles rolled around youjagwai (Template:Zh), typically doused in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, or sesame paste, and sprinkled with sesame seeds.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Duckfeet Roll	File:Duck leg dim sum - Chiang Rai - 2017-07-01.jpg	鴨腳扎	Duck feet wrapped in bean curd sheets.

Buns

Name	Image	Chinese	Description
Barbecued pork bun	File:Barbeque pork bao.jpg File:07 Char Siu Bao - Steamed Pork Buns - East Harbor Seafood Palace.jpg	(Template:Zh)	bun with barbecued pork filling steamed to be white and fluffy. Template:Zh is a variant that is glazed and baked for a golden appearance.<ref name="Hsiung3">Hsiung, Deh-Ta. Simonds, Nina. Lowe, Jason. [2005]. The Food of China: A Journey for Food Lovers. Bay Books. Template:ISBN. p. 24.</ref>
Sweet cream bun	File:Flowing Custard Bun.JPG	(Template:Zh)	steamed bun with milk custard filling.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Lotus seed bun	File:Lianrongbao.jpg	(Template:Zh)	steamed bun with lotus seed paste filling.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Pineapple bun	File:Food 誠實菠蘿包, 點點心, Dimdimsum, 台北 (23775346279).jpg	(Template:Zh)	a usually sweet bread roll that does not contain pineapple but has a topping textured like pineapple skin.<ref name="cnn-travel-1">Template:Cite news</ref>
Longevity peach	File:糕餅店製作的壽桃包(shoutao).jpg	(Template:Zh)	lotus seed bun sometimes with a filling made of red bean paste or lotus paste.
Steamed Chinese Sausage Rolls	File:HK SYP 西營盤 Sai Ying Pun Kwan Yick Building 名星海鮮酒家 Star Seafood Restaurant 臘腸卷 Lap cheong bunOctober 2020 SS2 03.jpg	(Template:Zh)	steamed chinese sausage in a bun

Cakes

Name	Image	Chinese	Description
Turnip cake	File:Food 臘味蘿蔔糕, 新葡苑, Shin Pu Yuan, 台北 (21551902251).jpg	Template:Zh	pudding made from a mix of shredded white radish, bits of dried shrimp, Chinese sausage and mushroom that is steamed, sliced, and pan-fried.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="tastehongkong">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Taro cake	File:Food 香火腩芋頭糕, 新葡苑, Shin Pu Yuan, 台北 (21516902726).jpg	Template:Zh	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Water chestnut cake	File:Waterchestnutcake.jpg	Template:Zh	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Nian gao	File:Guangdong Nian cake.jpg	年糕	glutinous rice flour cake sweetened, usually with brown sugar. <ref name="Roufs 2014 p. 79-80">Template:Cite book</ref>
Red Date Cake	File:Red Dates Cake From Dong Yuen Chinese Restaurant.jpg	紅棗糕	Dessert made with dried jujubes and tapioca flour.
Thousand-layer cake	File:千層馬拉糕 (Cantonese sponge cake).jpg	Template:Zh	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Malay sponge cake	File:Sponge cake at Top Cantonese Restaurant.jpg	Template:Zh	sponge cake consisting of lard or butter, flour, and eggs.<ref name=":03">Template:Cite book</ref>
White sugar sponge cake	File:WhiteSugarCake.jpg	Template:Zh	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Meats

Name	Image	Chinese	Description
Steamed meatball	File:HK Pacific Plaza SYP 德韾苑 Tak Hing Yuen Seafood Restaurant beef meat balls Mar-2013 Bamboo steamer.JPG	Template:Zh	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Pearl meatballs	File:Pearl Meatballs with Sticky Rice.jpg	Template:Zh	steamed meatballs coated with glutinous rice. Traditionally from Hubei and Hunan.
Lion's Head	File:Lions-head-MCB.jpg	Template:Zh	pork meatballs or beef meatballs stewed with vegetables.
Phoenix claws	File:2015 0410 Chicken feet dim sum.jpg	Template:Zh	deep fried, boiled, and then steamed chicken feet with douchi. "White Cloud Phoenix Claws" (Template:Zh) is a plain steamed version.<ref name="cnn2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Shimabukuro, Betty. "Dive In, Feet First" Template:Webarchive, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 11 November 1998.</ref>
Spare ribs	File:HK 灣仔 Wan Chai 莊士敦道 193 Johnston Road 君戶鍋貼大王 Kwan Wu Dumplings King Restaurant food 排骨豆鼓盅飯 pork meat steamed rice October 2019 SS2 02.jpg	Template:Zh	steamed pork spare ribs with douchi and sometimes garlic and chili.<ref>Phillips, Carolyn (2006) p. 167</ref>
Beef tendon	File:單點特製牛筋, Braised Beef Tendon, 一膳食堂, 台北 (23345752366).jpg	Template:Zh	Beef tendons are cooked for a long time until it is very tender. In Hong Kong, it is usually serve together with beef brisket and/or radish.
Reticulum beef tripe	File:Reticulum Dim Sum.jpg	Template:Zh<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Omasum beef tripe	File:2016 0716 Ngau Pak Yip.jpg	Template:Zh (Template:Zh)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Shrimp toast	File:Shrimp Toast.jpg	Template:Zh	Bread coated with a paste made from minced shrimp and cooked by baking or deep frying.

Seafood

Name	Image	Chinese	Description
Deep fried squid	File:Hong Kong fried squid.jpg	Template:Zh	similar to fried calamari, the battered squid is deep-fried.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Curry squid			squid served in curry broth.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Vegetables

Name	Image	Chinese	Description
Steamed gai lan	File:Baby kailan chinese.jpg	Template:Zh	Steamed vegetables served with oyster sauce, popular varieties include lettuce (Template:Zh), choy sum (Template:Zh), gai lan (Template:Zh), or water spinach (Template:Zh).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Fried tofu	File:Fried Tofu (炸豆腐).jpg	Template:Zh	deep fried tofu with salt and pepper.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Rice

Name	Image	Chinese	Description
Lotus leaf rice	File:2016 0716 Lo Mai Gai.jpg	Template:Zh	glutinous rice wrapped in a lotus leaf that typically contains egg yolk, dried scallop, mushroom and meat (usually pork and chicken). A lighter variant is known as "pearl chicken" (Template:Zh).<ref name="Hsiung4">Hsiung, Deh-Ta. Simonds, Nina. Lowe, Jason. [2005] (2005). The food of China: a journey for food lovers. Bay Books. Template:ISBN. p27.</ref>
Chinese sticky rice	File:HK 大快活 Cafe de Coral Tea time 糯米飯 Glutinous Mochi Rice Nuo Mi Fan with 蔥粒 Spring Onion Jan-2012.jpg	Template:Zh	stir-fried (or steamed) glutinous rice with Chinese sausage, soy sauce-steeped mushrooms, sweet spring onions and sometimes chicken marinated with a mixture of spices including five-spice powder.<ref name="food_NoMi">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="tiny_Chin">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="food_Chin">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Congee	File:Rice porridge with abalone flavor (9578736740).jpg	Template:Zh	many kinds of rice porridge, such as the "Preserved Egg and Pork Porridge" (Template:Zh).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Desserts

Name	Image	Chinese	Description
Egg tart	File:Egg Tarts with Puff Pastry.jpg	Template:Zh	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Douhua	File:HK CWB 香港怡東酒店 Excelsior Hotel 豆腐花 Soybean pudding Sugar Dec-2011.jpg	Template:Zh	soft tofu served with a sweet ginger or jasmine syrup.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Sesame ball	File:Onde-onde isi kacang.JPG	Template:Zh)	deep fried chewy dough with various fillings (lotus seed, black bean, red bean pastes) coated in sesame seeds.<ref>Misty, Littlewood and Mark Littlewood, 2008 Gateways to Beijing: a travel guide to Beijing Template:ISBN, pp. 52.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Coconut pudding	File:Pudding Som Som Strawberi.jpg	Template:Zh	light and spongy but creamy coconut milk pudding made with a thin clear jelly layer made with coconut water on top.<ref>What is a coconut bar? Template:Webarchive Wisegeek.com. Retrieved 31 March 2012.</ref>
Mango pudding	File:Mango pudding with heart style design.jpg	Template:Zh	a sweet, rich mango pudding often served with a topping of evaporated milk and large chunks of fresh mango.<ref name="foodtimeline">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Mango pomelo sago	File:Mango Pomelo Sago by Lei Garden.jpg	Template:Zh	A Hong Kong dessert made with diced mango, pomelo, sago, coconut milk, and milk.
Black sesame roll	File:Sesame roll in dinner.jpg	Template:Zh	Refrigerated thin layer of black sesame paste
Chinese flaky pastry	File:Char siew sou.JPG	Template:Zh	Also called Char Siu So. They are triangular, flaky pastries filled with a savory and slightly sweet barbecued pork filling, topped with sesame seeds for added flavor.
Ox-tongue pastry	File:HK WCD 灣仔 Wan Chai 軒尼詩道 432 Hennessy Road 人和悅大廈 Yan Wo Yuet Building shop 忠記粥品 Chung Kee Restaurant 牛脷酥 Ox-tongue pastry night October 2022 Px3.jpg	Template:Zh	a fried oval-shaped dough resembling an ox tongue that is similar to youjagwai, but sugar is added to the flour.<ref name="oxs1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Tong sui	File:CantoneseHybridRedbeansoup.jpg	Template:Zh	sweet dessert soups; popular varieties include black sesame soup (Template:Zh), red bean soup (Template:Zh), mung bean soup (Template:Zh), sai mai lo (Template:Zh), guilinggao (Template:Zh), peanut paste soup (Template:Zh), and walnut soup (Template:Zh).
Sweet potato soup	File:HK KTD 觀塘區 Kwun Tong Sau Mau Ping 安泰邨 On Tai Estate shop 名舫酒家 Famous Restaurant food Sweet potato soup January 2022 Px3 03.jpg	Template:Zh	sweet dessert soups containing sweet potato, rock sugar and ginger.
Black sesame soup	File:Black sesame paste.jpg	Template:Zh	sweet dessert soups containing Black sesame seed flour;

Tea

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File:Chrysanthemum tea.JPG

Chrysanthemum tea

File:Yumcha eating utensils.jpg

A typical dining set for "yum cha"

Tea is considered to be very important, so much so that it is considered just as important as the food itself.<ref name="NYT 1981">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":17">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Teas served during dim sum include:

• Chrysanthemum tea: instead of tea leaves, it is a flower-based tisane (herbal tea) made from flowers of the species Chrysanthemum morifolium or Chrysanthemum indicum, which are the most popular in East Asia.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> To prepare the tea, chrysanthemum flowers (usually dried) are steeped in hot water (usually Template:Convert after cooling from a boil) in a teapot, cup, or glass. A common mix with pu-erh is called guk pou (Template:Zh) from its component teas.
• Green tea: freshly picked leaves that go through heating and drying processes but not oxidation, so keep their original green color and chemical compounds, like polyphenols and chlorophyll.<ref name="Khan2013">Template:Cite journal</ref> Produced all over China, and the most popular category of tea, green teas include the representative Dragon Well (Template:Zh) and Biluochun from Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, respectively.
• Oolong tea: partially oxidizing the tea leaves imparts them with characteristics of both green and black teas.<ref name="Chen Zhongmao 1991">Zhongguo Chajing pp. 222–234, 271–282, 412–419 chief editor: Chen Zhongmao, publisher: Shanghai Wenhua Chubanshe (Shanghai Cultural Publishers) 1991.</ref><ref>施海根，中國名茶圖譜、烏龍茶黑茶及壓製茶花茶特種茶卷 p2，上海文化出版社 2007 Template:ISBN</ref><ref>Joseph Needham, Science and Civilization in China, vol. 6, Cambridge University Press, 2000, part V, (f) Tea Processing and Use, pp. 535–550 "Origin and processing of oolong tea".</ref> Oolong teas are closer in taste to green than black tea, yet have less of a "grassy" taste. Major oolong-tea producing areas such as Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan line the southeastern coast of China. Tieguanyin or Ti Kuan Yin (Template:Zh): one of the most popular, originated in Fujian province and is a premium variety with a delightful fragrance.
• Pounei (Cantonese) or pu-erh tea (Mandarin): usually a compressed tea, pu-erh has unique, earthy notes derived from years of fermentation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Chen438">Template:Harvp</ref>

• Scented teas: various mixes of flowers with green, black, or oolong teas exist. Flowers used include jasmine, gardenia, magnolia, grapefruit flower, sweet-scented osmanthus and rose. Strict rules govern the proportion of flowers to tea. Jasmine tea, the most popular scented tea, is the one most often served at "yum cha" establishments.

The tea service includes several customs.<ref name="Entertaining 2009">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Chiang 2019">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Typically, the server starts by asking diners which tea to serve. According to etiquette, the person closest to the tea pot pours tea for the others. Sometimes, a younger person will serve an older person.

Those receiving tea express thanks by tapping their index and middle fingers twice on the table.<ref name="Millson 2017" /><ref name="Chiang 2019" /> According to one legend, the finger-tapping tradition evolved from an incident when an emperor poured tea for his servant in a public teahouse during a trip where the emperor concealed his identity to mingle with the commoners. Having been instructed by the emperor to not expose his identity to the public, the servant showed gratitude by improvising the finger-tapping gesture instead of what should have been a kowtow, which would have betrayed the emperor's noble status. The practice gradually evolved to represent gratitude for having tea poured by others.

Diners also flip open the lid (of hinged metal tea pots) or offset the tea pot cover (on ceramic tea pots) to signal an empty pot; servers will then refill the pot.<ref name="Dim Sum Guide" /><ref name="Chiang 2019" />

History

File:Dim-sum-HK.JPG

A dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong

File:How To Dim Sum - A Beginner's Guide.webm

A video guide to dim sum

Dim sum is part of the Chinese tradition of snacks originating from the Song dynasty (960–1279), when royal chefs created various dishes such as minced pheasant, lark tongue, and desserts made from steamed milk and bean paste.<ref name=":26" /> Guangzhou experienced an increase in commercial travel in the tenth century<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Page needed At that time, travelers would frequent teahouses for small-portion meals with tea called "yum cha" or "tea" meals.<ref name=":11">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Page needed<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":13">Template:Cite news</ref> Yum cha includes two related concepts. The first, Template:Linktext, 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, Template:Linktext, which means dim sum, translates literally to "touch the heart" (i.e., heart touching). This is the term used to designate the small food items that accompanied the drinking of tea.<ref name=":14">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During the thirteenth century, when the Mongols invaded China, the royal court fled to southern China, bringing a royal influence to the dim sum of Guangzhou.<ref name=":26" /> Guangzhou was a wealthy, large port city that had international visitors, a temperate climate, and a coastline where fresh and tropical ingredients were grown, resulting in an ideal environment for food and entertainment.<ref name=":26" /> In Guangzhou, street vendors and teahouses sold dim sum.<ref name=":26" /> The practice of having tea with dim sum at tea houses eventually evolved into modern yum cha.<ref name=":0" /> While at the teahouses, travelers selected their preferred snacks from carts.<ref name=":0" /> Visitors to tea houses often socialized as they ate, and business people negotiated deals over dim sum.<ref name=":0" />

During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the Tea and Horses Bureau was established to monitor tea production and improve tea quality.<ref name=":26" /> The improvements in tea quality also led to teahouse improvements.<ref name=":26" />

Cantonese dim sum culture developed rapidly during the latter half of the nineteenth century in Guangzhou.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite journal</ref> Teahouse dining areas were typically located upstairs, and initial dim sum fare included steamed buns.<ref name=":4" /> Eventually, these evolved into specialized dim sum restaurants, and the variety and quality of dim sum dishes rapidly followed suit.<ref name=":4" /> Cantonese dim sum was originally based on local foods such as sweet roast pork called "char siu" and fresh rice noodles.<ref name=":4" /> As dim sum continued to develop, chefs introduced influences and traditions from other regions of China, which created a starting point for the wide variety of dim sum available today.<ref name=":4" /> Chefs created a large range of dim sum that even today comprises most of a teahouse's dim sum offerings.<ref name=":4" /> Part of this development included reducing portion sizes of larger dishes originally from northern China, such as stuffed steamed buns, so they could easily be incorporated into the dim sum menu.<ref name=":4" /> The rapid growth in dim sum restaurants was partly because people found the preparation of dim sum dishes to be time-consuming and preferred the convenience of dining out and eating a large variety of baked, steamed, pan-fried, deep-fried, and braised foods.<ref name=":4" /> Dim sum continued to develop and also spread southward to Hong Kong.<ref>Tam, S. (1997). Eating Metropolitaneity: Hong Kong Identity in yumcha. Australian Journal of Anthropology, 8(1), 291-306</ref>

Although dim sum is normally considered Cantonese, it includes many additional influences.<ref name=":4" /> Over thousands of years, as people in China migrated in search of different places to live, they carried the recipes of their favorite foods and continued to prepare and serve these dishes.<ref name=":4" /> Many Han Chinese migrated south, seeking warmer climates.<ref name=":4" /> Settlements took shape in the Yangtze River Valley, the central highlands, and the coastal southeast, including Guangdong.<ref name=":4" /> The influence of Suzhou and Hangzhou is found in vegetarian soy skin rolls and pearl meatballs. The dessert squares flavored with red dates or wolfberries are influenced by Beijing desserts.<ref name=":4" /> Savory dishes, such as pot stickers and steamed dumplings, include Muslim influences because of people traveling from Central Asia across the Silk Road and into Guangdong.<ref name=":4" /> These are just a few examples of how a wide range of influences became incorporated into traditional Cantonese dim sum.<ref name=":4" />

By 1860, foreign influences had shaped Guangdong's dim sum with culinary innovations such as ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and curry, all of which came to be used in some savory dishes.<ref name=":4" /> Custard pies evolved into the miniature classics found in every teahouse.<ref name=":4" /> Other dim sum dishes evolved from Indian samosas, mango puddings, and Mexican conchas (snow-topped buns).<ref name=":4" /> Cantonese-style dim sum has an extremely broad range of tastes, textures, cooking styles, and ingredients.<ref name=":4" /> As a result, there are more than a thousand different varieties of dim sum.<ref name=":4" />

During the 1920s, in Guangzhou, the foremost places to enjoy tea were its tea pavilions, which had refined and expansive surroundings.<ref name=":4" /> The customers were wealthy, and there were rather high standards for the privilege of enjoying tea pavilion service and dim sum.<ref name=":4" /> Upon entering a tea pavilion, customers would inspect tea leaves to ensure their quality and to verify the water temperature.<ref name=":4" /> Once satisfied, these guests were presented with a pencil and a booklet listing the available dim sum.<ref name=":4" /> A waiter would then tear their orders out of the booklet so that the kitchen could pan-fry, steam, bake, or deep-fry these dishes on demand.<ref name=":4" /> Customers dined upstairs in privacy and comfort.<ref name=":4" /> Servers carefully balanced the dishes on their arms or arranged them on trays as they climbed up and down the stairs.<ref name=":4" /> Eventually, dim sum carts were used to serve the steamers and plates.<ref name=":4" />

People with average incomes also enjoyed tea and dim sum.<ref name=":4" /> Early every morning, customers visited inexpensive restaurants that offered filled steamed buns and hot tea.<ref name=":4" /> During the mid-morning, students and government employees ordered two or three kinds of dim sum and ate as they read their newspapers.<ref name=":4" /> In the late morning, people working at small businesses visited restaurants for breakfast and to use the restaurant as a small office space.<ref name=":4" />

By the late 1930s, Guangzhou's teahouse culture included four high-profile dim sum chefs, with signs at the front doors of their restaurants.<ref name=":4" /> There was heavy competition among teahouses, and as a result, new varieties of dim sum were invented almost daily, including dishes influenced by the tea pastries of Shanghai, Beijing, and the Western world.<ref name=":4" /> Many new fusion dishes were also created, including puddings, baked rolls, turnovers, custard tarts, and Malay steamed cakes.<ref name=":4" />

There were also significant increases in the variety of thin wrappers used in both sweet and savory items.<ref name=":4" />

If we concentrate only on the changes and developments in the variety of wrappers, the main types of dim sum wrappers during the 1920s included such things as raised (for filled buns), wheat starch, shao mai (i.e., egg dough), crystal bun, crispy batter, sticky rice, and boiled dumpling wrappers. By the 1930s, the varieties of wrappers commonly used by chefs included puff pastry, Cantonese short pastry, and so on, for a total of 23 types that were prepared by pan-frying, deep-frying, steaming, baking, and roasting.<ref name=":4" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

As the Chinese Civil War progressed from 1927 to 1949, many dim sum chefs left China and settled in Hong Kong, resulting in further refinements and innovations of the dim sum there.<ref name=":26" /> Very large dim sum restaurants in major cities like Hong Kong, San Francisco, Boston, Toronto, and New York were also established.<ref name=":26" />

In the nineteenth century, Cantonese immigrants brought dim sum to the west and east coasts of the United States.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Some of the earliest dim sum restaurants in the U.S. still operating today opened in the 1920s in San Francisco and New York City.<ref name=":5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The history of San Francisco's Chinese community is believed to have started about 30 years before the first dim sum restaurant opened in the city's Chinatown neighborhood. The Chinese preferred to live in the present Chinatown area because of its restaurants and theatres.<ref name=":5" /> In the late 1930s, some early U.S. newspaper references to dim sum began to appear. While some Chinese restaurants in the U.S. had offered dim sum for decades, it was not until the late 1980s that there was a broader public awareness of dim sum.<ref name=":0" />

Although there was increased awareness of dim sum around this time, one chef from Hong Kong, who immigrated to San Francisco, noted that diners in the U.S. usually focused on the food itself and not the communal aspects of eating dim sum.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Although dim sum is a Chinese meal, it is a communal dining and social experience that can span hours.<ref name=":6" /> It is customary for large groups to enjoy dishes together as a leisurely social activity.<ref name=":6" /> Diners go to restaurants early, around 10:00 AM, and rather than ordering a whole table of food, they order small amounts, have a cup of tea, read the newspaper, and wait for friends and family to join them.<ref name=":6" /> As a result, a visit to a dim sum restaurant can last from late morning well into the afternoon.<ref name=":6" /> For some people in Hong Kong, eating dim sum is a daily routine and a way of life.<ref name=":6" /> Since this dim sum tradition is not always present in some U.S. dim sum restaurants, however, approaches to generate interest and attract customers include customized seasoning and flavors of traditional dishes, as well as creating novel dishes with an emphasis on enhanced flavors and visual appeal.<ref name=":6" />

One food reviewer notes that there has been an increase in popularity in posting dim sum photos on social media feeds, and that dim sum has become so popular that every U.S. state now has at least one high-quality dim sum restaurant.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There is a restaurant, bar, and highly rated dance club complex in Las Vegas, NV, that features high-end Cantonese food (including dim sum), craft cocktails, dinner parties, and prominent disc jockeys in a chic setting.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The dim sum restaurants in Chicago's Chinatown serve mainly traditional dim sum dishes, but there has been recent growth in contemporary dim sum with new fusion dishes, as well as restaurants now located outside Chinatown.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In Hong Kong, many chefs are also introducing variants based on traditional Cantonese cuisine, which generates interest and provides both Hongkongers and tourists with new, fresh dim sum dishes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Modern dim sum

In addition to traditional dim sum, some chefs also create and prepare new fusion-based dim sum dishes.<ref name=":21">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":22">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":23">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":24">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Modern versions of buns include pork belly steamed buns with cucumber, green onion, cilantro, and ginger hoisin sauce, cocoa mushroom buns, chili lamb buns. Dumplings include snow pea shoot and shrimp dumplings, and chili crab with fried garlic, siu mai with pork, shrimp, scallop, and caviar, dumplings stuffed with shrimp and peanut, dumplings with South Australian scallop, garoupa (grouper), caviar, gold leaf, and egg white, and bone marrow or beef short ribs in potstickers. Pastry puff dishes include Australian Wagyu beef puff, Assam curry chicken puff, and pumpkin puffs. Toast dishes include Hong Kong–style French toast with condensed milk and peanut butter and prawn toast. Additional examples are spring rolls filled with goat and duck skin and duck hearts cooked over a wood-fired grill and served with sesame-horseradish sauce.

One AAA four-diamond-award-winning Chinese restaurant in Miami Beach has a prix-fixe dim sum menu, prix-fixe "yum cha" menu and breakfast cocktails.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Variations designed for visual appeal on social media, such as dumplings and buns made to resemble animals and fictional characters, also exist.<ref name=":25">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Andrea Brown"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dim sum chefs have previously used cocoa powder as coloring to create steamed bread puffs to appear like forest mushrooms, espresso powder as both flavoring and coloring for deep-fried riblets, as well as pastry cream, and French puffs to create innovative dishes while paying tribute to the history of dim sum.<ref name=":4" />

Fast food

Dim sum can often be purchased from grocery stores in major cities.<ref name="Entertaining 2009" /> They can be cooked easily by steaming, frying, or microwaving.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Major grocery stores in Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Australia,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the United States<ref name=":27">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Canada<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> stock a variety of frozen or fresh dim sum. These include dumplings, shumai, pork buns, and others.<ref name=":27" />

In Hong Kong and other cities in Asia, dim sum can be purchased from convenience stores, coffee shops and other eateries.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Halal-certified dim sum that uses chicken instead of pork is very popular in Hong Kong,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Malaysia,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Indonesia<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Brunei.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

• HK SYP 西環 Sai Ying Pun 正街 Centre Street Dim Sum food shop March 2020 SS2 05.jpg

  Streetside dim sum food shop in Hong Kong

• Frozen dimsum.JPG

  Frozen dim sum are widely available at convenience stores

• Frozen Dim Sum in Grocery Store.jpg

  Frozen dim sum in a grocery store in the United States

• Vancouver - Dim Sum Express.jpg

  Express Dim Sum food truck, Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Restaurants

File:Example of Dim Sum Lunch.jpg

A light blue bill card (upper left) on a table of traditional family-style dim sum lunch dishes in a restaurant

Some Cantonese restaurants serve dim sum as early as five in the morning,<ref name=":18">梁廣福. (2015). 再會茶樓歲月 (初版. ed.). 香港: 中華書局(香港)有限公司</ref> while more traditional restaurants typically serve dim sum from mid-morning until mid-afternoon.<ref name="Jacobs 2017" /><ref name="Time guide" /><ref name="NYT" /> It is common for restaurants to serve dim sum during dinner as well as for takeout.<ref name=":19">Template:Cite news</ref>

Dim sum is served using a unique serving method<ref name="Phillips 2016">Template:Cite book</ref> whereby servers offer dishes to customers from carts, including some carts that are steam-heated.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Phillips 2016" /><ref name=":20">Template:Cite book</ref> Diners often prefer tables nearest the kitchen since servers and carts pass by these tables first.<ref name="Epicurious etiquette" /> Many restaurants place lazy susans on tables to help diners reach food and tea.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The pricing of dishes at these types of restaurants may vary, but traditionally they are classified as "small", "medium", "large", "extra-large", or "special".<ref name="Spoon Uni 2014">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Servers record orders with a rubber stamp or an ink pen on a bill card that remains on the table.<ref name="Entertaining 2009" /><ref name="Spruce Eats2"/><ref name="Asia Society" /> Servers in some restaurants use distinctive stamps to track sales statistics for each server.Template:Citation needed When they have finished eating, the customer calls the server over, and their bill is calculated based on the number of stamps or quantities marked in each priced section.<ref name=":26" /><ref name="Spruce Eats2"/><ref name="Asia Society2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Another way of pricing the food that was consumed uses the number and color of the dishes left on the table.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":26" /> Some restaurants offer a new approach by using a conveyor belt format.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Other Cantonese restaurants may take orders from a pre-printed sheet of paper and serve à la carte, much like Spanish tapas restaurants,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> to provide fresh, cooked-to-order dim sum or because of real estate and resource constraints.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:HK 堅尼地城 Kennedy Town 北街 North Street dim sum food shop October 2019 SS2 12.jpg

Dim sum food shop in Hong Kong

See also

• Bamboo steamer
• Cantonese cuisine
• Chinese cuisine
• Dim sim, Australian dumpling inspired by dim sum, with origins in local Cantonese restaurants.
• Hong Kong cuisine
• List of brunch foods
• List of dumplings
• Template:Portal-inline
• Template:Portal-inline
• Template:Portal-inline

Sources

• Phillips, Carolyn (2006) The Dim Sum Field Guide: A Taxonomy of Dumplings, Buns, Meats, Sweets, and Other Specialties of the Chinese Teahouse. New York: Crown Publishing Group Template:Isbn
• Template:Cite book

Further reading

• Hong Kong’s disappearing dim sum: why old-school trolleys and pig liver siu mai are being replaced Template:Webarchive
• A Hong Kong dim sum essential: why bamboo steamers are such a vital part of one of the city’s most loved food traditions Template:Webarchive
• 'Joys of life': Hong Kong food traditions endure in city of flux Template:Webarchive
• How to enjoy dim sum in Hong Kong Template:Webarchive