Dim Sum Essay

Amongst the many components that make up Chinese culture, food is one of the most important. As such, dim sum is an essential part of Chinese cuisine and culture, specifically Cantonese culture as the meal originates from the Guangdong province (Canton) and Hong Kong. (culturetrip) It was during the ancient times of the Silk Road where teahouses were implemented along the way for travellers as well as rural farmers who needed a rest. (thespruceeats) The older custom of yum cha, or literally ‘drink tea’, was often used along with some small foods, which were often found at these local teahouses, and would eventually evolve into what would be known as dim sum. (thespruceeats) However, as described from remaining journals of foreign travelers and traders, Chinese teahouses had been referenced many times by the end of the Tang Dynasty from 618 to 907 AD. Thus, “the terms dim sum and yum cha are both fairly new, compared to talking about tea and snacks,” as E.N. Anderson, professor and author of The Food of China, concludes. Regardless, dim sum was a unique and essential style of snacks that would influence foods and cuisine today. …show more content…
(myrecipes) These small Chinese dishes include some well known foods such as pork and shrimp dumplings (siu mai), rice noodle rolls (cheungfan), wontons, barbecued pork buns (char sui boa), and egg tarts. (culture