How was your holiday? I’m happy to say mine was wonderful. On Christmas Eve we indulged in a potluck feast featuring hot spiced cider, pate, ham, salad, sweet potatoes, gluten free spice cake and raw pecan pie. Then on Christmas Day we had….DIM SUM.
I’m Jewish. Jewish Christmas means Chinese food and a movie. I was determined to celebrate the holiday while still honoring my ancestors. And I hadn’t had dim sum since I lived in San Francisco (about a year). So before seeing Avatar (which I highly recommend), we swung by a packed Heaven Star in Broomfield, Colorado.
Eating dim sum is incredibly engaging and interactive. It’s best to go with a group, although two or even one can certainly enjoy it. You choose your small plates from carts that circulate throughout the restaurant. Everyone knows about shrimp dumplings and pork buns, but on Friday I was treated to visions of jellyfish and stomach (I don’t know whose stomach it was!). Sadly my dining companions did not share my curiousity about these more unusual delicacies, so we stuck with some of the basics.
Because I love to explore food from a cultural and historical angle, I was driven to research dim sum. Did you know the term actually means “to touch your heart”? I’d say it was more my GI tract that was touched. We ate at 2 pm and I was full for about seven hours, which is rare for me. Anyway. Originally a Cantonese custom, these tiny treats evolved to accompany tea in Chinese teahouses. As Chinese immigrants began to settle in America, dim sum gained popularity in this country as well. Yum cha, or drinking tea, is the term that describes the entire culinary experience. There’s some speculation that dim sum gave rise to the concept of brunch, as dim sum is a large meal traditionally eaten by early afternoon.
Dim sum generally involves small plates of either steamed or fried foods served family style. Tea accompanys the meal and is believed to aid digestion. If you’d like to be extra polite during your dim sum experience, pour your companions’ tea first before filling your own cup. Thank you companion for pouring your tea by tapping your index and middle fingers on the table – this represents bowing.
Have you been fortunate enough to have dim sum? Leave a comment below and share your experience.
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2 Responses to “Recovering From Christmas”
How interesting! I have NEVER had dim sum. I think I would have to stick to the more traditional dishes, I’m not super adventurous when it comes to food
Glad you had a fun weekend
You should definitely try it!
How interesting! I have NEVER had dim sum. I think I would have to stick to the more traditional dishes, I’m not super adventurous when it comes to food
Glad you had a fun weekend
Comment by Erica — December 28, 2009 @ 5:55 am
You should definitely try it!
Comment by Stephanie Small — December 29, 2009 @ 7:40 am