Gone Down to Chinatown
I am a Chinese/Filipina American, born in the Philippines, but whisked away to the states when I was about six years old. I remember how strange American food seemed to me at first, how much I missed pancit, fried bananas, ube, sticky rice, and my precious favorite, cha siu baau! But I quickly grew to enjoy American cuisine, favorites rising in rank were the Chicago hotdog, chocolate chip pancakes, and liverwurst sandwiches (the last one's a weird one, I know)! My first memories of dim sum are actually of when my parents would take me to Chicago's Chinatown on the weekends. I felt so small in the massive crowds of people, and still apprehensive of my new surroundings, but the smells were familiar and comforting.
Dim sum is my comfort food. I equate it with the things I had missed when I first moved to this country and to time spent with family and friends. Though I rarely get the chance to go anymore, each time I do is like a special trip, and is always shared with someone special.
Dim sum is my comfort food. I equate it with the things I had missed when I first moved to this country and to time spent with family and friends. Though I rarely get the chance to go anymore, each time I do is like a special trip, and is always shared with someone special.
What Is Dim Sum?
Expect the Unexpected!
Dim sum is a form of Chinese cuisine that consists of small dishes (what I would consider snack-sized) served from morning til mid afternoon. Dim sim is typically accompanied by Chinese tea, as it aids in the digestion of the food.Those new to this form of cuisine will find themselves confronted by large dining areas filled with tables upon tables of people and carts whizzing by full of hot, steaming plates of the unfamiliar. Much of the food will be served in steamer baskets, either made of bamboo or metal. Some are served on small plates. All are tiny portions and are priced by "size" - small, medium, and large dishes. Since the portions are small, baskets/dishes consist of 3-4 small pieces, making it easy to share and giving you the opportunity to try different things.
Dim Sum Dishes
What You Will Commonly See
- Dumplings (gow): Various ingredients wrapped in a translucent rice flour or wheat starch wrapper. Shrimp Dumplings (har gau) are delicate steamed dumplings with a shrimp filling. Peanut Dumplings (chiu-chau fun guo) are dumplings that contain peanuts, garlic, chives, pork and Chinese mushroom. Shaomai (siu mai) are pork steamed dumplings.
- Buns (bau): Filled with different meats and vegetables, these buns are usually steamed or baked. Char siu baau is the most popular steamed bun and my personal favorite, it is filled with Cantonese barbecued pork. See picture above!
- Rice Noodle Rolls (cheong fun): Wide rice noodles that are rolled and typically filled with beef, pork or shrimp. Served with a sweetened soy sauce.
- Lotus Leaf Rice (lou mai gai): Glutinous rice, or what I always refer to as sticky rice, is served wrapped in a lotus leaf with water chestnut, chicken and/or pork, mushroom and egg.
- Congee: A rice porridge that is accompanied by different items; usually served with pork or duck egg.
- Turnip Cake (lo bak go): A "cake" made from mashed daikon radish and pork sausage. It is sliced into thin rectangular slices and then deep fried.
- Phoenix Talons (fung zao): Deep fried, boiled and then steamed chicken feet.
Dim Sum Sweet Treats!
Deserts for Your Tummy
- Sesame Balls (jin deui): Okay, "sesame balls" is probably not what it is commonly called - but it's exactly what it looks like! It's a deep fried chewy dough, formed in the shape of a ball. It's filled with sweet red bean paste, and is rolled in sesame seeds. See picture above!
- Egg Tart (dan tat): A fluffy baked pastry with egg custard filling. Mmmmm, I love anything with eggs!
- Mango Pudding: Basically what is says, it's a mango-flavored pudding. It often has chunks of mango in it, and sometimes served topped with evaporated milk.
Chinese Cooking!
Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 01/01/2010) 
The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen: Classic Family Recipes for Celebration and Healing
Amazon Price: $19.80 (as of 01/01/2010)
Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
Amazon Price: $19.80 (as of 01/01/2010)
My China: A Feast for All the Senses
Amazon Price: (as of 01/01/2010)
Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China
Amazon Price: $26.40 (as of 01/01/2010)
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- Jimmie Jimmie Apr 6, 2009 @ 2:10 am
- Welcome to the Asian Foods Group.
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- BunnyValentine BunnyValentine Apr 2, 2009 @ 11:03 am | in reply to NatalieNiemi
- LOL - believe me, i pass on the chicken every time! you definitely should give it a try, it's delish!
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- NatalieNiemi NatalieNiemi Apr 1, 2009 @ 9:47 pm
- This was a fantastic, informative, and highly appetizing lens!!! I've never had dim sum, but now I'm going to make it a priority, because it sure does sound good! (Although I might pass on the deep-fried chicken feet.) ;)
by BunnyValentine
I'm a freelance illustrator and designer. I love life and am extremely driven; I hope to accomplish and experience as much as I can during this short... (more)
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