Taiwanese street food: All about Dim Sum

Dim sum (點心) refers to small bite-sized portions of food typically served in steam baskets or on small plates. It originated in Guangzhou, China and is closely associated with tea houses, especially along the Silk Road. Dim sum is traditionally eaten as a snack, enjoyed when slightly hungry, rather than as a full meal. However, it has now become popular to consume dim sum during dinner time. These dishes are often served with tea and come in a variety of sweet and savory flavors, including buns, rolls, wraps, dumplings, and spring rolls.

One of the most famous dim sum restaurants in Taiwan is Din Tai Fung. It was established in Taipei in 1972 by Yang Bingyi, who was originally from China but moved to Taiwan in 1948. Din Tai Fung has gained worldwide recognition, with its first international location opening in Japan in 1996.

Dim sum can be cooked through methods such as steaming and frying. The serving sizes are usually small, typically consisting of just a few pieces, around five. Dim sum is often enjoyed by a small group of people or families, allowing everyone to share and sample various dishes in one sitting.

Some popular dim sum dishes include:

Dumplings (with pork, chicken, shrimp, or vegetarian fillings)

Guotie (pan-fried dumplings with pork and cabbage filling)

Spring rolls (deep-fried rolls with vegetable and meat fillings)

Baozi (buns with savory fillings such as meat or vegetables, or sweet fillings like custard)

Xiao Long Bao (steamed buns filled with pork or seafood and a flavorful broth)

Luobo Gan (turnip cake made from shredded radish, often mixed with small shrimps, cabbage, and mushrooms, steamed and then pan-fried)

Sticky rice in lotus leaf (sticky rice with meat, mushrooms, and scallions wrapped in a lotus leaf)

Stuffed eggplant (eggplant stuffed with shrimp paste and fried)

Rice noodle rolls (commonly filled with shrimp)

Steamed radish or taro cake

Baked pork buns (buns filled with barbecue pork)

Steamed chicken feet and pork ribs

Glutinous rice ball (tangyuan)

Egg tarts (baked tarts with egg custard filling)

Dim sum offers a wide range of flavors and textures, providing a delightful culinary experience for those who appreciate this traditional cuisine.