Weekend-5-1

For the love of dim sum | Gastronomy 19
Diaspora
of delectable
dim sum
Nisha Ali
Steamy, hot, juicy, succulent
and filling, they burst open
with a medley of flavours
as soon as you put them in
your mouth – if you haven’t guessed
it already, I am talking about delicious
dim sums, the marvellous bite-sized
snacks that are a unique culinary
Cantonese creation. Generally
steamed in bamboo steamers, pan
fried, baked, or deep-fried, these
dumplings, buns, wraps, puffs, tarts
and stuffed cakes are among the
world’s finest hors d’oeuvres.
Personally, dim sums serve as my
other favourite for lunch, because
although filling, they don’t make you
feel heavy and lethargic afterwards.
Having said that, within a 40 minute
lunch break, it’s impractical to travel to
a restaurant, beating the crazy traffic
in this heat, ordering, dining in and
making my way back to work.
Just a few days back, one of my
colleagues gave me the sweetest
surprise for lunch at work – a
beautiful red ‘Yum Cha’ box from
Chows, the fine dining Cantonese
restaurant’s newest
launch containing an
assortment of dim sum.
It took me back to
my late teen years when
I was located in Hang
Zhou for a fashion internship. There I
got to know that in Chinese custom,
locals loved to go to teahouses and
restaurants with friends and family,
especially during the weekend to
unwind over a cup of tea and dim
sum served in carts that are pushed
around from which diners can order.
The drinking of tea is as important as
eating dim sum.
Dim sums originated in China
thousands of years ago and has grown
increasingly popular in the Western
world in recent years. According to
some sources, they were first made
more than 2,500 years ago, as evident
in the music and poetry of that
time. Although inextricably linked
to Cantonese cuisine, the first dim
sum is believed to have been made in
Northern China and has changed and
developed enormously over time. The
popular story is that it was created
by chefs of the Royal Court many
centuries ago as an exclusive luxury,
in order to touch the heart of Chinese
emperors.
‘Dim sum’ is intimately linked
with ‘yum cha’, so much so that
the two phrases are often used
interchangeably. ‘Dim sum’ literally
translates to ‘touch the heart’, which
is an ideal way to describe the small,
scrumptious, sweet or savoury dishes
while the term ‘yum cha’ translates to
‘drink tea’. The small portions were
designed to merely touch the heart
and not sate the appetite and as such
were first enjoyed as snacks.
The filling, pastry and shape
depends on the region and climate
from which it originates. The tastiest
and best, according to many, comes
from Southern China, Canton and
Hong Kong. Many of the
dim sum are classic, their
roots inherently traditional,
but all are given a uniquely
contemporary twist, either in
technique or the ingredients
used.
Most items come in
a serving for four to six,
allowing diners to share a
good variety of delicacies
around a table. Although
every restaurant has its own
dim sum menu, certain
traditional items can be found
in almost all dim sum outlets.
My long relationship with
dim sums continued even
when I returned from Hang
Zhou to Melbourne, one of the
Photos: Courtesy
most culturally diverse cities across
the globe. I realized that this Chinese
version of Spanish tapas, indeed,
has carved its name as one of the top
favourites in the world of appetizers.
With Dhakaites having demonstrated
fascination for Chinese and Thai
cuisine (although with a deshi twist)
for years, it was only a matter of
time that dim sum and many other
authentic dishes in Chinese cuisine
earned quick acceptance amongst
them, once they were introduced.
I have tried Dim Sums in almost all
the good restaurants offering them
in Dhaka. The dumplings in Hakka
Dhaka are alright as part of the platter
deals, although they are outshined
by the other dishes such as wrapped
prawn and hunan chicken in the
platter menu. Both Flavors of China
and Mainland China do pretty decent
jobs with the few different types of
Dim Sums they offer to their clientele.
It was at Chows that I felt no other
restaurant in Bangladesh knows dim
sum better than they do; their beef
and chive sui mai and crispy prawn
cheung fung are to die for. Their
BBQ chicken bao as well as steamed
mushroom and herb dumplings are
also extremely popular to the repeat
clients. I’d recommend ordering a
Beijing Black mocktail made from
blackberry, orange and cinnamon
to cleanse your palate. If you want
a small trial before going in for the
ultimate experience of fine dining
there, just get their latest Yum Cha box
with assorted Dim Sums for take away;
trust me, you will want to go back for
more of these delectable delights. •
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017