[Neville Griffin]

The history of Dim Sum is that It has been a traditional cuisine for more than two thousand years. The most common dim sum dishes are Cantonese cuisine, Hakka cuisine and Hokkien (Min Nan), and Teochew (Hokchiu) cuisine.

The word “dim sum” is used in a variety of senses throughout the Cantonese language. The most literal translation means “touch the heart”, but it can mean having thoughts or ideas, or be more figurative. In this sense, it could refer to thinking about something that is not clear to one (as when reading a book) and trying to understand what it means (by thinking about it). When translated to English, the words are used in several different ways. It can mean:

In Hong Kong English, as well as Chinese generally, the term “dim sums” refers to small bite-sized dishes that are eaten with tea. The term usually applies only to the type of food tested in dim sum restaurants. Some dim sum dishes are served in other restaurants, and some types of cuisine, such as the hot pot cooked by the Hakka people, may have a few of these dishes.

Dim sum is served both as a brunch and as a dinner dish. Throughout history It is commonly believed that the serving of dim sum started during teatime. However, historians suggest that this practice began in Nanjing during the Jin dynasty (265–420 AD). Dim sum is part of traditional Cantonese cuisine and has become an integral part of many regional traditions. In Hong Kong, dim sum is a major part of the Cantonese cultural identity. The government has recognised the importance of dim sum by creating a seat and joining it to the Legislative Council under the name “Dim Sum constituency”.

So, Dim sum is basically a traditional cuisine in Chinese cuisine where small dishes of various ingredients are served to customers in small steamer baskets, and usually eaten with tea.

Dim sum is adapted to modern cooking by cutting the food into large portions and steaming them. In recent years, small dim sum restaurants have been popularized among the Western world, where clients can order their food from a menu. Dim Sum Restaurants are spread all over North America including Las Vegas, New York City and San Francisco for example, they are also prevalent in England and Australia. In short it is one the most famous dishes in the world.

Hope this explanation helps!