04-017 Dim Sum

04-017
Dim Sum

I always want to write something about Dim Sum.

Dim Sum, and a pot of Chinese tea

Dim Sum is probably the most well-known Chinese cuisine throughout all nations. There are plenty of information about Dim Sum available on the internet. Wikipedia has a full list of all different kinds of Dim Sum in it, with photos. But I still want to write something about Dim Sum. I want to tell you the local definition of Dim Sum, different kinds of Dim Sums that can be found in Hongkong, how they look like, and how much do they cost.

The meaning of Dim Sum

Let us begin with the meaning of Dim Sum. Literally, Dim Sum means “a piece of heart”. Dim Sums are snacks. They are small in size and difficult to make. Therefore, each piece of Dim Sum is made with “a piece of heart”.

In the old time, Dim Sums are for the emperors or the nobles. They ought to be expensive. In modern day, although price of Dim Sum has dropped to an affordable range, it is still not a cheap food that people would consume in every meal.

Common Hongkong style Dim Sum

Below are common kinds of Dim Sum that you can find in Hongkong. I have been eating these Dim Sums since young. Like many other foods, the shape and taste of Dim Sums change over time. But some of them are still retaining their original shape and taste and has not been changed for decades.

Please note that I am not saying only the dim sums serve in Hongkong are “authentic”. Dim Sums were originated in Canton, but no one owns the copyright of making Dim Sum. Any people can make Dim Sums in their own style. So, if you go to your local Chinese restaurant, you will find the same Dim Sum looks slightly different in your country.

Also, the photos below were taken from different restaurants in different dates. But all photos are taken locally.

Shrimp Dumpling, Siumaai & Steamed meatball

There are around 100 different kinds of Dim Sums available. But the topmost common Dim Sum dishes are always Shrimp dumpling (蝦餃), Siumaai (燒賣) & Steamed meatball (山竹牛肉).

Shrimp dumpling

Siumaai

Steamed meatball

Shrimp dumplings are made with shrimps and bamboo shoots. Their skins are made by very special flour to give a sticky texture. Siumaai is made by minced pork and shrimps. And Steamed meatball is a mixture of beef and pork, although its Chinese name only says beef. All 3 dishes are steam cooked.

Dishes for chicken fanatic

Chicken roll

"Cotton" chicken

Four-treasure chicken roll, or simply Chicken roll (雞扎), “Cotton” chicken (棉花雞) and Phoenix claws (鳳爪), a.k.a. Chicken feet, are the most common chicken dishes. Chicken roll is typically chicken, ham, yam, ocean stick, fish maw, pig skin and Chinese mushroom, all wrapped in a thin slice of tofu skin. “Cotton” chicken is similar except all the ingredients are placed on a dish, not wrapped. The word “cotton” refers to the piece of fish maw, which looks like cotton. Phoenix claws are probably the most horrible dish in the eyes of Westerners. All 3 dishes are steam cooked.

Spareribs and Reticulum beef tripe

Beef tripe and Pheonix claws

Spareribs

Spareribs (排骨) and Reticulum beef tripe (金錢肚) are probably the most traditional Dim Sum dishes. I remembered back in the 80s, I traveled to mainland China with my parents. In a village restaurant in Canton, Spareribs are the only 2 Dim Sums served. The other is Barbeques pork bun. Both ribs and tripes are steam cooked.

Rice noodle rolls

Rice noodle rolls with fillings
The rolls in the photo is barbequed pork

Rice noodle rolls without fillings

Rice noodle rolls (腸粉) are another popular dishes. Rice noodle rolls are almost impossible to make at home, so people eat them in restaurants. There are 2 types, with fillings or without fillings. Fillings are normally prawns, beef, barbequed pork, chicken, or vegetable. You can only choose 1 filling per dish, not a mix. Rice noodle rolls without fillings are normally thinner and served with sweet or chili sauce. Rice noodle rolls with fillings are steam cooked. Rice noodle rolls without fillings can be steam cooked or shallow fried.

If you need some starch

Barbequed pork bun

Sweet cream bun

There is a wide selection of Chinese buns available to fill up your stomach. And the most common ones are definitely Barbequed pork bun (叉燒包) and Sweet cream bun (奶黃包). Chinese buns are not baked but steamed. We don’t use yeasts in making buns. They taste very different from bread. Try, but you may not like.

Where to find Dim Sum in Hongkong and how much?

Traditionally, Dim Sums are only served in Chinese restaurants during breakfast, lunch, and afternoon teatime. Because of their popularity, supermarkets have started selling frozen Dim Sums for home cooking for many years. But normally, frozen Dim Sums are in smaller version and taste a bit different from their originals. In recent years, many roadside Dim Sum takeaway stores appeared in Hongkong, selling the same versions of Dim Sums as in Chinese restaurants.

Depends on the class of the restaurants you visit, a dish of Dim Sum ranges from USD 4 to USD 10. And there is always a 10% service charge added to the bill. The service charge will be 20% during Chinese New Year, 30% on the Chinese New Year day. And they also charge around USD 1 to 2 per person for the Chinese tea.

Dim Sum record card of a local restaurant

Most restaurants serve other Chinese dishes, such as fried rice and noodles, alongside with Dim Sums. Some dishes can be small in size but are not considered as Dim Sums.

Backside of the record card includes other dishes apart from Dim Sums

Roasted belly pork, served together with other Dim Sums
but itself is not a Dim Sum

A pack of frozen Dim Sums from supermarket normally costs USD 3 to 4. And the price of a Dim Sum dish on roadside Dim Sum stores costs USD 2 to 3 only. Their Dim Sums are cooked, hot and can be eaten immediately. That is also why roadside Dim Sum stores are so popular in Hongkong.

Washing the bowls, spoons and chopsticks before eating

Before stop writing, let me also tell you a very common but rather strange practice that we normally do when dining in Chinese restaurants. It is washing the bowls, spoons, and chopsticks with hot tea before eating. The reason is to make sure the eating utensils are clear and soap free. Restaurants also provide us a bigger bowl to hold the dirty water.

Washing chopsticks with tea

In most people’s eyes, this is indeed a very odd practice! An American friend asked me when I was washing the utensils in a Chinese restaurant, “Won’t the staffs feel insulted?” This is a good question. Doing the same in a French restaurant would most likely end up being kicked out! But this is a common practice we do in Chinese restaurants. Don’t worry! We have plenty of Western restaurants in Hongkong. And we only wash the utensils in Chinese restaurants, not anywhere else. And if you don’t want to wash the dish before eating, it is also fine.

Go back to the Lobby ...