Dim Sum

Dim sum is a special Chinese dining tradition where many small dishes are served for people to share. The food is often brought to your table on carts or in bamboo steamer baskets. Dim sum includes dumplings, buns, rolls, and other bite-sized treats. It is a fun and social way to enjoy a meal with family and friends.

Popular Dim Sum Dishes

Har gow are delicate shrimp dumplings with a translucent wrapper. Siu mai are open-topped dumplings filled with pork and shrimp. Char siu bao are fluffy steamed buns filled with sweet barbecue pork. Egg tarts have a flaky crust filled with smooth egg custard. Cheung fun are soft rice noodle rolls wrapped around shrimp or beef.

The Dim Sum Experience

Dim sum restaurants are usually bustling and noisy, filled with families and friends. Servers push carts loaded with steaming dishes through the restaurant. You pick the dishes you want as the cart comes by. Tea is always served with dim sum, which is why dim sum is also called yum cha, meaning "drink tea." Dim sum is most often eaten for brunch on weekends.

Fun Facts

• Dim sum started as a snack served with tea along the ancient Silk Road trade route.
• The words dim sum mean "touch the heart" in Cantonese.
• A traditional dim sum meal can include over 50 different dishes to choose from.

Did You Know?

Dim sum began in teahouses along the Silk Road in China, where travelers stopped for tea and small snacks!