The Tradition of Chinese Dim Sum: A Western Experience in Eastern Tea & Cuisine

Green Tea Lady — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:54:52 -0500

Once upon a time, Chinese family and friends would regularly gather together and share stories and food over tea. This gathering served to bring the community closer together and, as often happens, a competitive element entered into the mix. Since most Chinese really like their tea strong, and it’s unsettling to the stomach to drink strong tea without food, people began to bring nibbly-bits along with their favorite tea. It became a matter of pride to have one’s delicately packaged treats eaten first and raved about most loudly, thus women began to compete to outdo each other in how tasty, how beautifully arranged and how ornate their nibblies were. Fast forward a few centuries and we now find Dim Sum restaurants wherever there is a community of Chinese. What began as a village sitting around a common fire has grown into an industry… and it all began with tea.

Today, Dim Sum restaurants provide linen-draped tables set with a plate, a bowl, a teacup and chopsticks for each place. There is a shared dispenser of soy sauce, a little bowl of chili sauce and, if you’re lucky (or you ask nicely), a bowl of hot mustard. These tables are placed so there is a clear track through which heated or cooled carts stacked with bamboo steamers full of assorted treats are pushed. The ladies pushing the carts explain what they carry and place your choices on the table to be shared. In a Dim Sum restaurant, one doesn’t pass through the gauntlet, the merchandise flows right past the table. All you need do is indicate an interest and the dishes of steaming delight are placed before you.

All through this parade of delicacies, the tea flows like a river. Tea is essential to the dim sum experience. What we know as Dim Sum in the Western world began as Yum Cha in the East. Yum Cha means “drink tea.” As soon as the pot is empty, a new pot appears, which is a beautiful thing. In most restaurants, there is a choice of teas. The two most common teas offered are jasmine green tea and chrysanthemum tea. These are both lighter and more flowery teas, though oolongs are offered, as well. It’s best to ask your server what teas the restaurant offers and if they have a custom house tea. Some restaurants proudly will serve a specialty tea that they had shipped from a special region of China – remember, this whole tradition started with the tea. The tea is the reason for the gathering, the tea binds the community, and the chemical properties of the tea promote a pervading energetic tranquility – very important for family gatherings.

I highly recommend the Dim Sum experience. When you go, I’d love to hear of your experiences. What did you like best? What tea did you have? What was your favorite dish? And, most importantly, were you brave enough to try the chicken feet?

Breathe deeply,

Laugh with abandon,

Love wholly,

Eat well.

Green Tea Lady

http://GreenTeaLady.com

http://miladycarol.com

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The Tradition of Chinese Dim Sum: A Western Experience in Eastern Tea & Cuisine