Dim Sum History

2026-05-24

Historically, people in the southern Chinese provinces would invite each other out to "Yum Cha", drink tea at teahouses and be served treats on the side with their tea, the dim sum (飲茶). It is a cuisine meant to touch the heart as all good food can do. One possible origin is that dim sum was sent to frontline soldier during the war as gratitude for their sacrifices.

Food Facts

• Siu Mai
  • Pork and Mushroom dumpling with a piece of shrimp
  • May have mushroom, green onion and ginger
  • Yellow wrapper (lye water dough)
  • Roe or carrot on top
• Ha Gow
  • Crystal shrimp dumplings
  • Shrimp wrapped in flower/tapioca mix
  • 7-13 pleats
  • One of the main ones - 4 heavenly kings
• Cha Siu Bao
  • bbq pork bun
  • pretty dense bread
  • History says a general needed to cross a river with his army but the deity required sacrifices of human heads.
  • Ended up making bao in the shape of heads and filled with meat to throw into the river for the deity instead who liked them a lot better :)
• Bo Lo Bao
  • Pineapple bun without pineapple, it's based off the cross hatch pattern of the traditional bun
  • Part of Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage in 2014
  • Similar to sugar cookies dough
• Rice Crepe
  • Cherng fun - popular breakfast item, lots of filling types
  • Sauces are peanut, hoisin/oyster, soy sauce
• Shanghai Mein
  • Round Noodles
• Cantonese Mein
  • Thin noodles, may be crispy