[OGRipper]

Just wondering if any other monkies like dim sum.

I had a rocking dim sum lunch today in Oakland's chinatown. This was traditional style, where they just bring out random carts and offer you the contents (no ordering off a menu). We had a group of 6 so we basically tried just about everything that came around. All kinds of steamed dumplings, steamed and baked buns, noodles, vegetables, soup, tea...MMMM. I love eating this way - you get lots of different small bites and don't have to eat what you don't want.

 

[Changleen]

Yes, I like it, but it's real name is Yum Cha. Dim Sum is just one of the things you eat. Yum Cha basically means: "Would you like some Tea?"

 

[DaveW]

Full marks to Chang for the correct name.

But yeah Yum Cha rocks.

 

[OGRipper]

Yes, I like it, but it's real name is Yum Cha. Dim Sum is just one of the things you eat. Yum Cha basically means: "Would you like some Tea?"

Well dang, ya learn something every day...thanks.

 

[sanjuro]

It is? I am going to ask my mother right now....

 

[OGRipper]

I have to say, it's not really clear, at least not from these definitions on wiki. Maybe it's a regional thing, but it sounds like Yum Cha is more about the tea and gathering people, whereas with Dim Sum it's more about the food.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yum_cha

Yum cha a term in the Cantonese spoken variant of Chinese meaning "drinking tea", refers to the custom of eating tiny servings of different foods while sipping some well-brewed Chinese tea in southern China. It is an integral part of the culinary culture of Hong Kong and the Guangdong Province. In any city with a sizeable population of Cantonese people, Yum cha is a tradition on weekend mornings, and whole families gather to chat and eat Dim sum and drink pots of Chinese tea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dim_sum

Dim sum (Traditional Chinese: 點&#24515 is a Chinese light meal or brunch served with Chinese tea. It is eaten some time from morning-to-early afternoon with family or friends. Dim sum consists of a wide spectrum of choices, from sweet to salty. It has combinations of meat, vegetables, seafood, and fruit. It is usually served in a small basket or on a small dish, depending on the type of dim sum.

 

[sanjuro]

Since I am Cantonese, what I say goes, although I haven't asked the real boss yet, my mom.

On a different note, my dad is flying in Saturday, and he is Mr. Oakland when it comes to the Dim Sum.

 

[sanjuro]

BTW, my mother and father blanched at the idea of calling Dim Sum Yum Cha. They said it meant drink tea.