Dim sum is a Chinese light meal or brunch served with Chinese tea. It is eaten some time from morning-to-early afternoon with family or friends. The following will introduce the most popular dim sum in China.
Dim sum is a Chinese light meal or brunch served with Chinese tea. It is eaten some time from morning-to-early afternoon with family or friends. The following will introduce the most popular dim sum in China.
1. Gow (Dumpling)
Gow is a standard in most teahouses. They are made of ingredients wrapped in a translucent rice-flour or wheat-flour skin. Though common, steamed rice-flour skins are quite difficult to make. Thus, it is a good demonstration of the chef's artistry to make these translucent dumplings. The most common type is har gao, which is a shrimp dumpling with rice-flour skin. There are also dumplings with vegetarian ingredients, such as tofu and pickled cabbage.
2. Chiu-chao Style Dumplings
It is a dumpling said to have originated from the Chaozhou prefecture of Kwangtung province, it contains peanuts, garlic chives, pork, dried shrimp, shiitake mushrooms in a thick dumpling wrapper made from glutinous rice flour, or Tang flour. It is usually served with a small dish of chili oil.
3. Potsticker
It is a Northern Chinese style of dumpling usually with meat and cabbage filling. Note that though potstickers are sometimes served in dim sum restaurants, they are not considered traditional Cantonese dim sum.
4. Bau
Baked or steamed, these fluffy buns are filled with different meats and vegetables. The most popular type is cha siu baau, a bun with Cantonese barbeque-flavored pork meat and onions inside. It can be either steamed to be fluffy and white or baked with a light sugar glaze to produce a smooth golden-brown crust.
5. Rice Noodle Rolls
These are wide rice noodles that are steamed and then rolled. They are often filled with different types of meats or vegetables inside but can be served without any filling. Fried rice noodle rolls are fried after they are steamed and then sprinkled with sesame seeds. Popular fillings include beef, dough fritter, shrimp, and barbecued pork.
6. Phoenix Talons
These are actually chicken feet that deep fried, boiled, marinated in a black bean sauce, and then steamed. This results in a texture that is light and fluffy (due to the frying), while moist and tender. Fung zau are typically dark red in color. One may also sometimes get clear, steamed chicken feet that are served with a vinegar dipping sauce. This version is known as "White Cloud Phoenix Talons".
7. Lotus Leaf Rice
Glutinous rice is wrapped in a lotus leaf into a triangular or rectangular shape. It contains egg yolk, dried scallop, mushroom, chestnut and meat (usually pork and chicken). These ingredients are steamed with the rice and although the leaf is not eaten, its flavor is infused during the steaming. Lo mai gai is a kind of rice dumpling.
8. Sou
It is a type of flaky pastry that crumbles with flakes. Fillings such as char Siu, century egg, lotus seed paste, cream and seafood are used. Most commonly, char Siu Sou is served at dim sum restaurants.
9. Cha Siu Sou
It is a baked flaky pastry with sesame seeds and honey on the top of the pastry. It has char Siu or barbecued pork with onions which is somehow similar with Chasiubao.
10.Spring Rolls
Spring Rolls consist of various types of vegetables such as sliced carrot, cabbage, mushroom and wood ear fungus, and sometimes meat, are rolled inside a thin flour skin and deep fried for a crispy outside.
11.Egg Tart
Egg tarts are composed of a flaky outer crust with a middle filled with egg custard which is then baked. Some high class restaurants put bird's nest soup on top of the custard.
12.Crispy Fried Squid
Similar to Fried calamari, the battered squid is deep-fried and normally served with a sweet and sour dip. One may also get a variation of this dish prepared with a salt and pepper mix. In some dim sum restaurants, octopus is used instead of squid.