A Guide to Dim Sum

Dim sum is a style of Chinese cuisine that is served as bite-sized portions, often presented in small steamer baskets. These small dishes tend to accompany tea, forming a traditional brunch, known as ‘Yum cha’. Yum cha, meaning ‘drink tea’, is particularly popular in the Cantonese-speaking regions.

Dim sum is usually eaten as a breakfast or brunch, and consists of items such as steamed buns, dumplings and noodle rolls. Many places also serve up dessert dim sum, with the egg tart being a very popular choice.

In Hong Kong and Guangdong, many restaurants will begin serving the nibbles as early as five o’clock in the morning! Many of the older people in the area will meet to eat dim sum following their morning exercise. Traditionally, dim sum is served until mid-afternoon, however it is becoming increasingly common in modern restaurants to be dished up at dinner time too. Some types of dim sum are sold as a takeaway variety for those heading to work and school.

Typically, dim sum dishes are pushed around the restaurant or teahouse on a steam-heated cart, with servers offering the dishes to the seated customers. The dishes are usually priced according to their size; small, medium, large, extra-large or special.

But if you are heading to a dim sum restaurant, and don’t know your cha siu bao from your Xiao long bao, then what and how much should you order to satisfy everyone!? Here are our top three:

Shrimp Dumpling (Har Gow)

This steamed dumpling, containing a shrimp filling, is widely considered a dim sum staple. While newer dim sum samplings may be flashier in their presentation, these dumplings are a true classic – there should always be room for them on your table! It is said that you can judge a dim sum chef’s talent based on this dish, so be sure to make a note of how many times the wrapper has been pleated. The dumpling should feature at least 7 of these folds, but a chef with good dexterity can easily manage ten or more. The dumpling should be translucent and thin; revealing a pink hint from the shrimp. Yet it should also remain sturdy enough that the shrimp remains within, and does not break when lifted with the chopsticks.

Shaomai (also known as; shumai, shui mai, shu mai, sui mai, shui mei, siu mai, shao mai, siew mai, or siomai!)

As one of the most versatile dumplings, this dish has variations found in every province in China. It is so popular that Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines have all adapted their own versions too! Originating from Mongolia, this dish typically features minced pork and prawns layered inside a thin wheat dumpling wrapper. It is then topped with a round orange garnish, often using crab roe. As well as being a restaurant classic, this popular dim sum is also served on a skewer as a street food. These versions are often made using oriental fish paste though, making them taste a little differently to their restaurant variety.

This dish is a white Chinese bun, filled with a sweet Cantonese barbeque pork, steamed in a bamboo basket. Definitely one for those with a sweeter tooth, so this may be a good one to save until you’ve finished your dumplings! The pork used within the dough is sweet and slow-roasted, mixed into a syrupy sauce made from oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, shaxing wine, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch.