The Best Dim Sum Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can you put in dim sum? ›

Common dim sum dishes include a variety of dumplings (steamed, boiled, pan-fried, open-topped shumai, and the coveted xiao long bao), bao buns, char siu (barbecued pork), steamed radish or turnip cakes with pork and dried shrimp, and many items wrapped in rice paper rolls or tofu skins.

As a sign of respect, always pour tea for your companions first. Always move an item from the communal dish to your own before eating using a serving utensil or the top ends of your chopsticks. Do not eat directly from the steamer basket or shared plate. Dim sum is for sharing!

Dumplings are balls of flour filled with a stuffing. Momos are also dumplings that contain some form of filling, be it vegetarian or meat. Dim sums are small snacks in Chinese cuisine that are eaten for lunch. They too have fillings covered with dough, but the dough is semi- or completely transparent.

Dim sum has a lot of calories

With these rough estimates, the calories of a single dim sum item (e.g. dumpling, roll, meatball, etc.) max out at around 300 calories for the sugariest, fattiest ones, but most range between 50 and 100 calories.

The most popular types of dim sum range from dumplings, buns, wraps and noodle rolls (often filled with a mixture of fresh seafood, meat and vegetables) to puffs, tarts and puddings.

Dim sum is a style of Chinese cuisine that is served as bite-sized portions, often presented in small steamer baskets. These small dishes tend to accompany tea, forming a traditional brunch, known as 'Yum cha'. Yum cha, meaning 'drink tea', is particularly popular in the Cantonese-speaking regions.

Typically, a good ratio is 1.5 to 2 orders of dim sum per person. That means for two people, 3 to 4 orders will typically fill us up. However, since you are visiting and might want to try more, get a couple more things. If your focus is on dim sum, do not get a big plate of fried rice.

Dim sum can be sweet or savoury and may be served hot or cold. They can be steamed, baked or fried. Sometimes they are small sandwiches, sometimes dumplings, wraps, spring rolls, or even mini tarts or puddings.

Start with tea.

You should be given a pot of tea as soon as you first sit down. Most dim sum restaurants will have a few varieties of tea on hand and will probably get you a different type if you prefer it over their house tea. Check the tea before you pour to make sure it's steeped enough.

Dim sum is a traditional Chinese meal made up of small plates of dumplings and other snack dishes and is usually accompanied by tea. Similar to the way that the Spanish eat tapas, the dishes are shared among family and friends. Typically dim sum is consumed during brunch hours — late morning to lunchtime.

Are bao buns the same as dim sum? ›

When it comes to similarities, both usually have the same type of filling made from meat or vegetables. Baos and dumplings use chicken, fish, pork, or vegetables. Both dishes are commonly served in dim sum restaurants. As you already know, dim sum is a type of meal where a wide range of small dishes are served.

The reason restaurants don't serve most dim sum dishes in sets of fours is simply to avoid any associations with bad luck. In Chinese culture, the number four is considered unlucky because it is nearly hom*ophonous to the word "death," while the number three is associated with life and new beginnings.

“You definitely cannot have a dim sum meal every day because it's not possible to get a balanced diet that way,” said Ho Yuk-yin, a consultant with the government's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, who led the research.

Healthy tip: Although this dish is a good source of fibre and protein, it is very high in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Eating this dish exceeds the daily saturated fat allowance, and provides 70% or more of the daily cholesterol and sodium allowance for an adult!

I enjoy dim sum with a group, but wouldn't be interested alone or with just one person; the point, to me, is a wide variety of small pieces, if I went by myself, I'd end up only getting two or three items. Because dim sum as a buffet may not be cost effective.

Stuffed plump with springy shrimp, pork fat, and bamboo shoots, and wrapped with a delicate rice flour wrapper, these are the ICONIC dish of any dim sum meal.

A white wine with good acidity and a notable freshness will respect the flavours and textures of the dim sum. A wine with a nice minerality is also to be preferred.