A beginner's guide to dim sum - plus tasty recipes to try at home

What does dim sum mean?

Dim sum originated in Canton, China and can be likened to how the English take afternoon tea or the Spanish have tapas with sherry. They are essentially small bite-sized snacks which were served with tea to weary workers and travellers to see them through until they have their main meal. Nowadays Chinese people tend to eat them on weekend mornings for a long brunch.

In dim sum houses, a whole variety of steamed, baked and fried snacks are served from trolleys stacked high with bamboo steamers which is then pushed around the restaurant for diners to select from. You can keep ordering more whenever they come past and simply pay at the end for what you had. Sharing is advised!

Examples of dim sum

Here is a snapshot of the most common types of dim sum to get you started, but there are many, many more! Serve with plenty of Kikkoman soy sauce for dipping!