Today, I really wanted to get to the bottom of what dim sum is all about. I’ve seen it on menus and heard friends talk about it, but I never really knew what it was.
So, first, I hit up Wikipedia. You know, just to get a general idea. I typed in “dim sum” and, bam, a whole page dedicated to it popped up. I started reading through the introductory part, trying to get the gist of it.
Then, I scrolled down to the “History” section. It was pretty interesting, talking about how dim sum is connected to this tradition of “yum cha”, which is basically drinking tea. Apparently, these small dishes were initially served as snacks with tea.
After that, I moved on to the “Culinary art” part. This is where things got really mouth-watering. They described all sorts of dishes. I learned that there’s a huge variety in dim sum. Dumplings, buns, rolls, you name it.
- Dumplings: They come in all shapes and sizes, with different fillings.
- Buns: Some are steamed, some are baked, some are sweet, some are savory.
- Rolls: Often made with rice noodles, wrapped around various ingredients.
I also read about the “Tea service” part, which explains how important tea is to the whole dim sum experience. You don’t just eat, you sip tea throughout the meal.
I kept going, reading about “Etiquette.” Turns out, there’s a specific way to pour tea, signal for a refill, and even share dishes. It is like a little dance at the table!
Further down
I found sections on “Fast food dim sum” and “Cooking.” Who knew you could find dim sum in fast food places? And apparently, people make it at home too, though it seems pretty complicated to me. Maybe someday I’ll try.
Finally, I checked out the “See also” section. It had links to other related topics, like different types of Chinese cuisine. I didn’t click on them today, but I might explore them another time.
So, that was my little adventure with the dim sum Wikipedia page. I definitely learned a lot more about it than I knew before. Now, I’m even more curious to try it for real. Maybe I’ll find a good dim sum restaurant this weekend and put all this newfound knowledge to the test!