Dim sum

Lore & Background

In the tenth century, the bustling port city of Canton (Guangzhou) swelled with merchants and travelers. These weary souls flocked to teahouses, where they sipped tea and nibbled on small, thoughtfully crafted portions—a practice known as 'yum cha.' A common order was 'jat zung loeng gin' (one cup, two pieces), pairing a single cup of tea with two delicate, savory or sweet morsels. Teahouse owners, eager to keep customers lingering, began inventing an ever-expanding array of snacks called dim sum. Over centuries, this casual snack ritual evolved into the elaborate, multi-dish brunch we know today. Cantonese dim sum culture truly exploded during the latter half of the nineteenth century in Guangzhou, starting with local street foods and then absorbing influences from across China, creating a tapestry of flavors that still delights.

Reader's Guide

Dim sum is a heavyweight in Chinese cuisine, especially Cantonese, boasting over a thousand distinct dishes born in Guangdong alone—a variety unmatched by any other region in China. Tea is its inseparable partner, considered every bit as vital as the food itself. In a typical dim sum restaurant, dozens of dishes arrive in waves, often wheeled out on steam-heated carts, with service starting as early as five in the morning and running until mid-afternoon (or all day in many Hong Kong and Guangdong spots). The tiny portions encourage sharing family-style, letting you sample a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors in one sitting. Modern dim sum has also sprouted fusion creations and Instagram-ready presentations, but the soul remains the same: small, heartfelt bites that barely fill your stomach—just enough to keep you reaching for one more.

Did You Know?

• The term 'dim sum' translates literally to 'touch the heart'.
• Some estimates claim at least two thousand types of dim sum exist across China, but only about forty to fifty types are commonly sold outside of China.
• The earliest attested use of 'dim sum' is in the Book of Tang, where it appears as a verb meaning 'to barely fill your stomach'.
• Cantonese dim sum has over one thousand dishes originating from Guangdong alone, a total no other area in China comes close to matching.