If there’s one Chinese cuisine that’s widely popular, it’s Dim Sum. This bite-sized food that can be eaten as a snack or meal itself offers various flavours and fillings to choose from, depending on how you want to enjoy them.
Dim sums are either cooked by steaming, baking, or frying. Commonly served in small bamboo plates with tea for a complete dining experience. It translates to “touch the heart” and is connected with yum cha’s Cantonese phrase, meaning “to drink tea.” It’s a collection of buns, dumplings or rolls dishes filled with sweet and savoury tastes.
Don’t know where to start your dim sum experience? Then, check out this list to set that dim sum journey going.
Types Of Dim Sum to Try
Over 2000 dishes of dim sums are available worldwide. But generally, there are three popular types — Steamed, Fried, and Sweet. Each dish varies from wrappers, fillings, and cooking methods. A typical dim sum menu includes steamed buns, rice, dumplings, and noodle rolls.
Steamed
- Har Gow
If you’re looking for a steamed dumpling filled with shrimp, this is the one for you. It Is one of the go-to in the steamed category. The translucent wrapper covering its filling is made from starch and wheat flour and is crescent-shaped. As it Is steamed, the wrappers will become smooth but look stretchy.
- Siu Mai
This type of dumpling is open-topped and filled with either pork or shrimp. It comes in second to Har Gow in terms of popularity. Several variations of this single pea steamed dish are offered. A traditional Cantonese style Siu mai is consists of shrimp, ginger, mushroom, and ground filling. Others garnish it will take a little of fish roe or carrot cubes.
- Char Siu Bao
These delicious, steamed pork buns are very recommended if you’re planning on visiting a speciality restaurant. The white dough wraps the sweet, barbecued pork filling together. To ensure the quality of the dish, the buns are steamed before they are served.
Fried
- Wu Gok
In the fried category, this type of deep-fried dim sum is also known as taro root croquette in English. It is made from a mashed taro exterior that becomes crunchy after cooking, and stuffing consists of ingredients like shrimp, scallions, pork, and diced mushroom.
- Zhaliang
When you roll steamed silky rice noodles around Youjagwai, a fried dough, you get Zhaliang. Usually sprinkled with sesame seeds and paired with sauce dips like soy sauce, sesame paste, or hoisin paste.
Sweet
- Salted Egg Yolk Custard Buns
Although quite similar to steamed creamy custard buns, the difference lies in the main ingredients. Just like its name, salted egg and butter are the core of this sweet treat. The combination gives off a sweet and salty taste with a runny texture.
- Steamed Creamy Custard Bun
It is a sweet-filled steamed bun with traditional Chinese-style custard on the inside. It’s a simple dish made from flour, milk, and eggs. A perfect choice for those who have sweet tooth cravings.
Pair Your Dim Sum Experience With Tea
It is common to order tea before the food. For example, when eating dim sum, a nice cup of tea makes it a perfect pair. Some of the best choices of tea you could try are black tea, oolong, jasmine, or chrysanthemum.
Surely, there hasn’t been anyone who tried dim sum that didn’t enjoy the experience. If you haven’t yet, head to ChefOnline and order dim sum now and see it for yourself.
