{"id":14476,"date":"2018-08-01T16:27:46","date_gmt":"2018-08-01T20:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=14476"},"modified":"2018-08-01T16:27:46","modified_gmt":"2018-08-01T20:27:46","slug":"dim-sum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/dim-sum\/","title":{"rendered":"Dim Sum"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to must-try culinary experiences in China, dim sum<\/strong> (\u70b9\u5fc3 \u2013 di\u01cen x\u012bn) is very high on the list.\u00a0The name of this dish can be translated as \u201ctouch the heart,\u201d and a good meal of dim sum does just that. Dim sum is perhaps the best creation of\u00a0Guangdong cuisine<\/strong>\u00a0(\u5e7f\u4e1c\u83dc \u2013 gu\u01ceng d\u014dng c\u00e0i), which is considered to be one of the Eight Great Culinary Traditions of China. In this post, we’ll learn a bit about dim sum and get some useful Chinese vocabulary so you can order like a local.<\/p>\n

An Intro to Dim Sum<\/h2>\n

In general, dim sum refers to a wide variety of bite-sized portions of food. These are usually steamed, but some are also pan-fried or baked. These little tasty morsels are cooked and ready to be eaten, so waiters just push around carts full of plates to entice you. With so many delicious choices, it’s easy to go overboard when eating dim sum!<\/p>\n

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Dim sum – a huge part of Hong Kong culture.<\/p><\/div>\n

Dim sum is typically eaten earlier in the day. It’s also a very popular choice for a later morning meal. People in China don’t really do brunch, per say, but dim sum is about as close as they get. These days, you can also find 24-hour dim sum restaurants that will satisfy your hunger at all hours of the day. I remember ending many a wild night in Beijing at the 3-story dim sum restaurant near Ditan Park. That place is awesome!<\/p>\n

Eating dim sum in a restaurant is known in Cantonese as \u201cyum cha<\/strong>\u201d (\u996e\u8336 \u2013 y\u01d0n ch\u00e1), which means \u201cto drink tea.\u201d Having a hearty dim sum breakfast with tea is very popular in Hong Kong and other areas of Southern China. This tradition goes way back, when travelers along the Silk Road would stop to rest their weary feet and have a cup of tea. Eventually, tea houses started serving various snacks to go along with the drinks, and thus the tradition of dim sum was born.<\/p>\n