Dim sum and Tea? Not always.
It never occurred to me that the most straight-forward translation of the two Chinese characters “dim sum” is “to touch one’s heart.” If I am asked what dim sum is, naturally I will say it is a Cantonese cuisine that serves small dishes and tea. In countries like Taiwan, this dining experience is called “yum cha,” which literally means “to drink tea.” So when I was in Taiwan, I would invite friends to go yum cha; I would not say “let’s have dim sum.” But the only reason I would want to go yum cha is to eat the dim sum dishes, not to drink the tea.
Almost all of the dim sum restaurants I have been to in The States are crowded and clamorous during the weekends. Some bigger, more popular restaurants hand out tickets to customers who fill and pack the waiting area with their family members of all generations. Sometimes even a microphone has to be used to get the crowd’s attention.
The teas served at dim sum restaurants are always loose-leaf teas, but some are of dubious quality. Seldom do tea enthusiasts frequent dim sum restaurants for a cup of well-brewed tea. Interestingly, the last few times I asked the server for the restaurant’s tea selection, I was told that only oolong, jasmine (“heung peen” in Cantonese), and chrysanthemum teas were available and was never offered the choice of pu-erh, which should be readily available at all restaurants. (Perhaps the language barrier played a role in my not being presented with the full list.) Customers can also request a tea blend, such as pu-erh and chrysanthemum, or chrysanthemum and sau mei – a white tea. A subtle way to request a tea refill is to place the teapot lid upside down or half way open. Of course, a verbal request is fine as well.
I prefer spacious restaurants where servers wheel dim sum trolleys up and down the aisles; if I am not familiar with a dish, I can always ask the server to show me before ordering. On the other hand, some restaurants that ask customers to order from their photo-laden menu serve very good dim sum dishes, but the ordering process is not as unique and spontaneous as it is from the trolleys.
Chinese-Style Dim Sum
Dim sum is said to have originated from roadside eateries along the Silk Road where weary travelers could rest and have a cup of tea and something to eat. How did it become mainly a Cantonese cuisine?
Ideally dim sum should be enjoyed with a bigger party, so more dishes can be ordered and tasted. Chinese restaurants that serve dim sum do not serve it all day long. For dinner, the menu is purely a la carte with traditional Chinese dishes.
More Thoughts on Dim Sum and Relationship with Tea
Dim sum(traditional Chinese:點心;simplified Chinese:点心;pinyin:diǎnxīn;Cantonese Yale:dím sām) is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes originated in China and are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuisines. In the tenth century, when the city of Guangzhou (Canton) began to experience an increase in commercial travel,many frequentedteahousesfor small-portion meals with tea called yum cha, or “drink tea” meals.Yum chaincludes two related concepts.The first is “yat jung leung gin” (一盅兩件), which translates literally as “one cup, two pieces”. This refers to the custom of serving teahouse customers two pieces of delicately made food items, savory or sweet, to complement their tea. The second isdim sum(點心) and translates literally to “touching heart”, the term used to designate the small food items that accompanied the tea drinking.
Teahouse owners gradually added various snacks called “dim sum” to their offerings. The practice of having tea with dim sum eventually evolved into the modernyum cha(brunch).Cantonese dim sum culture developed rapidly during the latter half of the nineteenth century in Guangzhou.Cantonese dim sum was based originally on local foods.As dim sum continued to develop, chefs introduced influences and traditions from other regions of China.
There are over one thousand dim sum dishes in existence today.
View the images and descriptions of many of the traditional Dim Sum dishes on Wikipedia.
You are absolutely right. In Portland Oregon I have never gotten a decent cup of tea when I’ve had dim sum. How far we’ve come from the origins of this wonderful tradiiton. I love the Taiwanese definition of yum cha. It’s perfect.
I have heard of an old Cantonese saying of “One pot of tea goes with two dishes of dim sum for each person”. Maybe that’s how they stay slim is to drink a lot of tea and only to savor a few dishes.
Not sure if “yum cha” is Cantonese or Taiwanese pronunciation.
I must admit that i have never been to a yum cha restaurant for the purpose of drinking tea. Assorted dishes are always those eateries’ speciality. The function of tea is to make the taste of greasy dishes yummier.
where this lovely tradition first began. I adore how yum cha is defined in Taiwan. It’s ideal.Few delectable foods and drink a lot of tea to maintain their tiny figure. Thanks For Sharing this blog.