What is Dim Sum? A Beginner’s Guide

Dim sum is a beloved Chinese culinary experience that encourages you to enjoy a range of sumptuous bites, usually in a social setting where you can share good food in good company. Dive into the wonderful world of dim sum with our ultimate beginner’s guide!

What is Dim Sum?

Dim sum is the collective term for a series of small bite-sized Chinese dishes, usually in the form of different dumplings and buns. Traditionally, it is enjoyed as a breakfast or brunch meal and served alongside tea. The term dim sum can be translated as ‘to touch the heart’ – a rather poetic term that hints at the satisfying and soul-nourishing nature of the dishes, as opposed to being a heavy meal.

What is Yum Cha?

The delicacies are associated with the dining experience of yum cha, which means ‘drink tea’ in Cantonese. Yum cha is often referred to as the Chinese version of brunch, where you gather with family and friends to enjoy a selection of sharing plates/steamers filled with diverse dim sum dishes.

Is Dim Sum Chinese?

Dim sum has a long history, with mentions of it dating back 2,500 years. It’s thought to have originated in the South of China, particularly in Guangdong province and Hong Kong. Silk road traders helped spread and influence the popularity of dim sum as they would stop at tea houses on their travels.

These days, the popularity of dim sum prevails across China - and the rest of the world!

What is Inside Dim Sum?

A lot of dim sum dishes include some sort of dough or wrapper with a tasty filling. The filling inside will entirely depend on the type of dim sum you order, with options ranging from BBQ pork to soup broth.

Types of Dim Sum

It’s estimated there are around 2000 different types of traditional dim sum, making the yum cha experience incredibly diverse. However, there are a few iconic dim sum dishes you’ll likely come across at any yum cha restaurant or gathering.

Served in either bamboo steamers or on small plates, different dim sum bites are prepared in a variety of ways, including being steamed, fried or baked. While most dim sum dishes will be savoury, some may be sweet, dessert-like dishes, allowing you to mix and match your favourites. Some of the most common and popular dim sum you can get include:

Jiaozi

This is the umbrella term for the generic crescent-shaped Chinese dumplings, and you can certainly expect to find all sorts of dumplings on a dim sum menu. Common examples include guo tie, otherwise known as potstickers, which are pan-fried dumplings usually filled with ground pork, cabbage, and ginger.

Shui jiao are another common variation and are similar to guo tie, except they’re boiled rather than fried like guo tie.

Siu Mai

This is another recognisable dim sum classic, consisting of a dumpling wrapper encasing a filling of minced pork, mushrooms, spring onions and ginger. Rather than being entirely wrapped up, they are left with an open top and garnished with orange crab roe, completing their distinctive look.

Har Gow

These are dumplings made with a translucent tapioca-based wrapper and a shrimp filling. Because of the delicate, somewhat see-through wrapper, they are sometimes called crystal skin dumplings.

Xiaolong Bao

A type of soup dumpling, these tasty bites are made from a slightly thicker, yet still succulent wrapper encasing a filling of different meats and aromatics and, crucially, a gelatinous bone stock that melts once cooked, providing a hearty soup-like filling.

Char Siu Bao

These are another dim sum staple. Made from soft, fluffy dough and typically filled with BBQ pork, these delicious steamed buns are always a hit. Baozi is the generic term for dumplings made with this more bread-like bun dough. You may come across bao buns with varying fillings and constructions – gua bao are folded over rather than being rounded buns as you get with char siu bao.

Cheong Fan

These tasty bites involve sheets of rice noodles that have been rolled up and stuffed with various fillings. The steamed noodle rolls have a soft, chewy texture and are typically served with a sweet and savoury sauce.

Spring Rolls

Another very recognisable dim sum dish, spring rolls are long cylindrical rolls made from a fried wrapper and filling of choice – usually an assortment of ground meat and vegetables. The fried exterior gives a nice crunchy, flaky texture that contrasts against the sumptuous filling combinations.

Chicken Feet

When enjoyed as a dim sum delicacy, chicken feet are braised in a rich black bean sauce, creating a tasty, flavourful dish. The preparation for this dish can be quite laborious, with various staples involved boiling, deep frying, soaking, braising, and steaming. This multistep process provides a distinctively tender texture.

Lo Mai Gai

Lo mai gai is made from sticky glutinous rice combined with chicken, mushrooms, Chinese sausage and salted egg yolk. This mixture is then wrapped in a parcel of lotus leaves before being steamed.

Lo Bak Go

Also known as turnip or radish cake, lo bak go consists of steamed rice flour and shredded daikon, which are formed into rectangular slices and served with an umami sauce. They’re not baked sweet cakes, but instead pan-fried bites with a fresh, savoury taste.

Daan Taat

While a yum cha meal will probably mostly consist of savoury dim sum, there are plenty of sweet treats to try too. Daan taat, or Cantonese egg tarts, are a popular option. They’re beloved for their melt-in-the-mouth flaky pastry and silky smooth custard filling.

What to Eat Dim Sum With

As previously mentioned, dim sum dishes are traditionally enjoyed with tea. Tea is the backbone of the yum cha experience, so a good tea pairing with your food is essential. Tea pairing can be based on the richness and flavours of the food.

Pu-erh is a go-to, helping cleanse and refresh the palate between dishes, while something like jasmine is lighter and more floral. Check out our tea and dim sum pairing guide to see which teas work well with each dish.

Where to Buy Dim Sum

If you can’t make it to a yum cha restaurant and don’t feel like making your own dishes from scratch, our frozen dim sum range is perfect. With all your favourite bites and more, you can easily mix and match different dim sum treats for the ultimate at-home yum cha experience.

For even more, discover our extensive online selection of frozen Asian dumplings too!