What does dim sum consist of?

Question

I have never ate dim sum (chinese breakfast) before, but i would love to try it. What foods make up dim sum?

Answer 1

Dim sum restaurants have a wide variety of dishes, usually several dozen. Among the standard fare of dim sum are the following:

Gow (餃, Dumpling) (or Gow gee, Jiaozi; 餃子 gau zi, 饺子 jiǎozi):Gow is a standard in most teahouses. They are made of ingredients wrapped in a translucent rice-flour or wheat starch skin, and are different to jiaozi found in other parts of China. 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. There are also dumplings with vegetarian ingredients, such as tofu and pickled cabbage.

Shrimp Dumpling (蝦餃 har gao): A delicate steamed dumpling with whole or chopped-up shrimp filling and thin (almost translucent) wheat starch skin.

Chiu-chao style dumplings (潮州粉果 chiu-chau fun guo, 潮州粉果 cháozhōufěnguǒ): A dumpling said to have originated from the Chaozhou prefecture of Guangdong province, it contains peanuts, garlic chives, pork, dried shrimp, Chinese 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.

Potsticker (Simplified Chinese: 锅贴; Traditional Chinese: 鍋貼; pinyin: guōtiē; literally "pot stick") Northern Chinese style of dumpling (steamed and then pan-fried jiaozi), usually with meat and cabbage filling. Note that although potstickers are sometimes served in dim sum restaurants, they are not considered traditional Cantonese dim sum.

Siu Maai (燒賣 siu maai, 烧卖 shāomài): Small steamed dumplings with pork inside a thin wheat flour wrapper. Usually topped off with crab roe and mushroom.
Bau (包 bau, bāo): Baked or steamed, these fluffy buns are filled with different meats and vegetables. The most popular type is cha siu baau (叉燒包, 叉焼包, chāshāobāo), a bun with Cantonese barbeque-flavoured pork 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.
Sweet cream buns (奶皇包 naai5 wong4 baau1): Steamed buns with milk custard filling.

Shanghai steamed buns or Xiaolongbao (上海小籠包 seong hoi siu lung bau, 上海小笼包 Shànghǎi xiǎolóngbāo): These dumplings are filled with meat or seafood and are famous for their flavour and rich broth inside. These dumplings are originally Shanghainese so they are not considered traditional Cantonese dim sum.

Rice noodle rolls or cheong fun (腸粉 cheong fan, 肠粉 chángfěn): 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. Rice noodle rolls are fried after they are steamed and then sprinkled with sesame seeds. Popular fillings include beef, dough fritter, shrimp, and barbequed pork. Often topped with soy sauce.

Turnip/Daikon radish cakes or lo bak go (蘿蔔糕 lo bak go, 萝卜糕 luóbogāo): These savory cakes are made from mashed daikon radish mixed with bits of dried shrimp and pork sausage that are steamed and then cut into slices and pan-fried.

Ingredients used in Dim Sum cuisine such as these chicken feet are frequently found in grocers catering to Chinese customersPhoenix talons (鳳爪 fung zau, 凤爪 fèngzhuǎ): 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 find plain steamed chicken feet served with a vinegar dipping sauce. This version is known as "White Cloud Phoenix Talons" (白雲鳳爪; báiyúnfèngzhuǎ; Cantonese: bak wun fung jau)
Steamed meatballs (牛肉球 ngau4 juk6 kau4, usually simplied as 牛球, 牛肉丸 niúròuwán): Finely ground beef is shaped into balls and then steamed. Often topped with Worcestershire sauce.

Steamed spare ribs (排骨 paai4 gwat1, páigǔ): Pork spare ribs are chopped into bite-sized pieces and then steamed with black bean sauce.

Lotus leaf rice (糯米雞 no mai gai, 糯米鸡 nuòmǐjī): 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 flavour is infused during the steaming. Lo mai gai is a kind of rice dumpling. A similar but lighter variant is known as "Pearl Chicken" (珍珠雞 jan jyu gai, 珍珠鸡 zhēnzhūjī).

Congee (粥 zhōu): Rice porridge served with different savory items.

Mango pudding (芒果布甸 mong guo bo din, 芒果布丁 mángguǒbùdĩng): A sweet, rich mango-flavoured pudding usually with large chunks of fresh mango; served with a topping of condensed milk.

Chien chang go (千層糕 cin cang gou, 千层榚 qiāncénggāo): "Thousand-layer cake", a dim sum dessert made up of many layers of sweet egg dough.
Sesame seed balls (麻糰, 麻糰 mátuǎn or 煎堆 jiānduī): Especially popular at Chinese New Year, a chewy dough filled with red bean paste, rolled in sesame seeds, and deep fried.

Dou fu fa (豆腐花, doùfǔhuā): A dessert consisting of silky tofu served with a sweet ginger-flavored syrup.
Malay Steamed Sponge Cake (馬拉糕 ma5 lai1 gou1): A very soft steamed sponge cake flavoured with molasses.
Sou (酥 sou, 酥 sū): A type of flaky pastry filled with char siu, century egg, lotus seed paste, cream, or seafood. Char siu sou (叉燒酥 cha siu sou, 叉燒酥 chāshāosū) is the most common version at dim sum restaurants.

Taro root dumpling or woo kok　(芋角 wu gok, 芋角 yùjiǎo): This is made with mashed taro, stuffed with diced shiitake mushrooms, shrimp and pork, deep-fried in crispy batter.
Spring rolls (cheun gyun, 春卷 chūnjuǎn): 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.

Egg tart (蛋撻 dan tat, 蛋挞 dàntà): 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.

Crispy fried squid (魷魚鬚 yau yu sou, 鱿鱼须 yóu yú xū): 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.

But, its very nice!!! Try it!!!

Answer 2

Dim sum is a Chinese light meal or brunch, served usually with Chinese tea. It is eaten some time from morning to early afternoon with family or friends. Dim sum consists of a wide spectrum of choices. It includes combinations of meat, seafood, vegetables, as well as desserts and fruit. The various items are usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate.

Answer 3

dim sum means "snack" in Cantonese( a Chinese dialect), and it doesn't mean Chinese breakfast. It was originally snack food served with tea in guest houses for people who were traveling long distance. In a sense , it's similar in concept as the Spanish "tapas" since most of the dim sum dishes are in small portions. The most common and popular dishes are: Steamed dumplings(siu mai) made with shrimp, pork, beef.
Spring rolls, steamed pork buns, vegetable buns, boneless ribs with black bean paste , sweet rice with chicken wrapped in lotus leave,fried taro balls, braised meatballs(beef), shrimp rolls, etc......

Answer 4

Most everyone is correct saying that dim sum refers to a snack. When we see it on Asian menus in the west it refers to an appetizer. I like pot-stickers!

Answer 5

Everything under the sun. It's not just breakfast food type stuff. It's anything from filled wontons, fried stuff, little sweet pastries, you name it. I can't even remember the names of everything offered. But you do have to try it, it's an amazing way to have a variety of little plates and discover what's good.

Answer 6

Its mainly all those small dumplings stuff. And also 'bao' which means buns. Its taste very good.

Btw, its originated from HongKong.

Answer 7

i go every Saturday and mainly is a like small portion(like 4 pices) in small container and go from tiny won ton ,chicken legs, trip, wrap ed chicken, shrimp etc every ting is served from a lady with a trolley and is kept warm with steam .i like it so much!!!!!! taste every ting especially the Chinese broccoli..super!!!!!!