Okay, so I wanted to get into making dim sum at home. I’ve always loved going out for dim sum, but I figured, why not try to make it myself? Plus, I thought it would be a fun project to share with you guys.
First off, I had to figure out what the heck these things are even called. I mean, I knew them by sight, but the names? Totally blank. So, I started by hitting up the internet, just Googling “dim sum names” and stuff like that. I found a few lists and articles, but man, some of them were confusing.
Eventually, I found this one article that had some good info. It mentioned a couple of classics. They said if you want something tender and meaty, try the Siu Mai. I guess that’s the one that’s kind of open-topped, usually with pork and shrimp. Then, they talked about Har Gow, also called shrimp dumplings. They even called it the “KING of dim sum”! Those are the ones wrapped in that translucent skin, right?
So, armed with these names, I started digging deeper. I watched some videos on how to make the fillings and the wrappers. Some people make the wrappers from scratch, but I’m not that fancy yet, so I just bought some pre-made ones from the Asian grocery store.
Then came the fun part – actually making them! I followed the recipes I found as best as I could. For the Siu Mai, it involved mixing ground pork, shrimp, and some seasonings. For the Har Gow, it was mostly shrimp and some other stuff I can’t recall at the moment.
- First, mixing the meat for Siu Mai.
- Then, doing similar process for Har Gow.
- Wrap them with the skins.
- After that, put them into the steamer.
The hardest part was probably wrapping them. I definitely messed up a few, but hey, practice makes perfect, right? Once they were all wrapped, I steamed them for a bit, and voila! Homemade dim sum.
The Result
They weren’t perfect, but they were pretty darn tasty! I was actually surprised at how well they turned out, especially considering it was my first try. And the best part? I now know what to call them when I order them at a restaurant.
I’m definitely going to try making other types of dim sum in the future. Maybe some Char Siu Bao or some egg tarts. If you guys have any favorite dim sum dishes, let me know, and I might just give them a shot!