Yum cha

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Yum cha
Yum cha hour in Hong Kong
Literal meaning	drinking tea

Yum cha (simplified Chinese: 饮茶; traditional Chinese: 飲茶) is Cantonese which literally means "drink tea".In the US and UK, the phrase "dim sum" is often mistakenly used in place of "yum cha". In fact, in Cantonese, dim sum (點心) refers to the wide range of small dishes, whereas yum cha, or "drinking tea", refers to the entire dining experience.

Lung Mun, an old-styled restaurant in Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Eating utensils

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Personal place setting of eating utensils for yum cha.

Teabowl

Methods of tea-tasting have undergone considerable changes since the Tang Dynasty and the use of covered teabowls is one development of note. The simple yet practical design of covered teabowls makes them an excellent utensil for tea-tasting. The fine painting on these bowls also enhances their aesthetic value. Nowadays a small teacup is used instead in most dim sum restaurants more often than not.

Chopsticks

Chopsticks, a pair of small even-length tapered sticks, are the traditional eating utensils used to yum cha. Chopsticks are commonly made of plastic in the Chinese restaurants. Held between the thumb and fingers of the working hand they are used as tongs to pick up portions of food or to sweep rice and small particles of food into the mouth from the bowl. Dim sum dishes are served in small portions and therefore convenient for eating with chopsticks. Many rules of etiquette govern the proper conduct of the chopsticks.

Toothpicks

The use of toothpicks at a table is another typical practice. Toothpicks are frequently used between courses, as it is believed that the aftertaste of one course should not be allowed to ruin one's enjoyment of the next course.

Toothpicks have another major value in that they are ideal and socially acceptable to use picking up those meal items which often defy the best chopstick approach, such as slippery button mushrooms and jellyfish slices served with sesame oil.

Dim sum

A woman serving dim sum from a cart in a Cantonese restaurant in Hong Kong

Dim sum is a varied range of small dishes (a concept similar to tapas) eaten for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea, as part of the yum cha dining experience. Dishes are usually steamed or fried and may be savoury or sweet. They include steamed buns such as char siu baau, assorted dumplings, siu mai, and rice noodle rolls, which contain a range of ingredients, including beef, chicken, pork, prawns and vegetarian options. Typical desserts include egg tarts and sai mai lo (tapioca pudding). Many dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green vegetables, roasted meats, congee porridge, and soups.

Dim sum can be cooked by steaming and frying, among other methods. The dim sum are usually small and normally served as three or four pieces in one dish. It is customary to order family style, sharing dishes among all members of the dining party. Because of the small portions people can try a wide variety of food.

In the past, there were more places with dim sum wheeled around on trolleys, but nowadays one is more likely to order from a menu. Traditionally, the cost of the meal was calculated based on the number and size of dishes left on the patron's table at the end. In modern dim sum restaurants, dim sum servers mark orders by stamping a card on the table. Servers in some restaurants even use different stamps so that sales statistics for each server can be recorded.

In the US and UK, the phrase "dim sum" is often mistakenly used in place of "yum cha". In fact, in Cantonese, dim sum (點心) refers to the wide range of small dishes, whereas yum cha, or "drinking tea", refers to the entire dining experience.

Customs and etiquette

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Rinsing dishes, cups and chopsticks

Before eating, usually even before making any order, Hong Kong people rinse all utensils with hot water or hot tea. They then dispose of the water in a bowl on the table. Some restaurants do not provide such a bowl and a waiter has to come to help.

Pouring tea

It is customary to pour tea for others before filling one's own tea cup. It is most gracious to be the first to pour tea.

A tea-drinker tapping the table with her fingers to show gratitude to the member of the party who has filled her cup.

Finger tapping after a cup is filled

When tea drinkers tap the table with two (occasionally three) fingers of the same hand, it is an expression of gratitude to the member of the party who filled their cups. Also known as finger kowtow, this action of finger-tapping has historical significance.

The gesture recreates a tale of Imperial obedience and can be traced to the Qianlong Emperor, a Qing Dynasty emperor who used to travel incognito. While visiting South China, he once went into a teahouse with his companions. In order to maintain his anonymity, he took his turn at pouring tea. His stunned companions wanted to kowtow for the great honour. Instead of allowing them to disclose his identity, the emperor told them to tap three fingers on the table. One finger represented their bowed head and the other two represented their prostrate arms.

(See also: Just-so story)

Teapot lids should be left open or ajar to signal for refills.

References

• Everything You Want to Know about Chinese Cooking by Pearl Kong Chen, Tien Chi Chen, and Rose Tseng. Woodbury, New York: Barron's, 1983.
• How to Cook and Eat in Chinese by Buwei Yang Chao. New York: The John Day Company, 1945.
• Dim Sum: The Delicious Secrets of Home-Cooked Chinese Tea Lunch by Rhoda Yee. San Francisco: Taylor & Ng, 1977.
• Classic Deem Sum by Henry Chan, Yukiko, and Bob Haydock. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1985.
• Chinese Dessert, Dim Sum and Snack Cookbook edited by Wonona Chong. New York: Sterling, 1986.
• Tiny Delights: Companion to the TV series by Elizabeth Chong. Melbourne: Forte Communications, 2002.

See also

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

• Table sharing
• Dim sum
• Dai pai dong
• Cha chaan teng
• Tea time