What is Dim Sum?

Dim sum is a Chinese meal of small plates best enjoyed with tea in the company of family and friends.

Though dim sum can be found in many forms and in all regions of China, the cuisine is most closely associated with the teahouse culture of Hong Kong and Guangdong Province. Hundreds of years ago, travelers along the famous Silk Road and weary rural farmers would frequent local teahouses (the Cantonese cha lau) for rest and conversation accompanied by a cup of tea. When the teahouses began serving food with a patron’s tea, the seeds for today’s modern dim sum tradition were planted.

Dim sum is literally translated to mean “touch the heart” and the associated Cantonese phrase yum cha means “to drink tea.” Taken together, dim sum is a meal of small dishes served with tea comprised of a collection of savory and sweet tastes from a variety of steamed and fried buns, dumplings and rolls. Though the best kitchens are still found in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, dim sum is now served around the world and the cuisine remains one of southern China’s most famous culinary exports.