Dim SumThe pride of Hong Kong food culture!In the last few years it has become a famous food phenomenon world-wide. Experience this culinary success at its source. Meet dim sum! HistoryAccording to ancient Chinese food wisdom one should not eat at the traditional tea times. The teahouses figured out a clever way of getting around these old traditions by just offering some "snacks" to go with the tea drinking. The connection to tea drinking is obvious to this day, as tea is included free of charge, and the Chinese term for going to a dim sum restaurant is "yum cha", meaning "drinking tea". Before long, people were eating so many delicious snacks with their tea that it made up a whole meal! This style of food has become a cornerstone of Cantonese cuisine in its own right, although nowadays these dishes are not consumed as much in the afternoon as in the morning. Breakfast, lunch or, mostly, brunch is now the customary time to eat dim sum, and it is usually enjoyed in the company of family or close friends.  EtiquetteAlthough it may seem strange to a Westerner, in countries like China where the food is placed in the middle of the table to be shared, it is considered polite to take bits of food and put it in other people's bowls (but don't overdo it). Similarly, it is gracious to pour tea for others, and you will often see people refill each other's cups even though their not even half empty yet. If you go eating with Chinese people, you should try to do this! Tea refills also have a particular social custom tied to them. Rather than saying "thank you", getting your tea cup refilled is acknowledged by knocking lightly on the table. MenuA dish typically consists of three to six little pieces that are cooked by steam and served in a special basket. For a full meal it's normal to order about three dishes per person. The food is then shared freely, as is the custom in China. So the more people you bring, the more different things you can try - yum!  The picture above shows some typical dishes that you might want to try, including: You might also like to try different types of Chinese pastries or perhaps congee, a form of porridge with savory pieces of meats and vegetables mixed in. While dim sum is usually consumed in the morning, Hong Kong people still like to have some snacks with their afternoon tea, but they will usually do it in more informal settings, like a cha chaan teng.
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