Dim Sum: is it Greater-than the total of its Light Pieces?
Dateline: RedGage-Tasty Thursday
It was noted that visions of Dim Sum were being rated and favourited. Why do they call it "Dim Sum" ... when it's really little Light Pieces ???
Ok ... that comment may have been too cerebral for Tasty Thursday. Confucius say "the joke ain't that funny if you have to explain it"! So ... being as I am Westropean instead of Chinese I will none-the-less ignore Confucuis and proceed to deconstruct and try to interpret it ... (-;
This was a cross-culture/multi-lingo/double-pun.
(should not be confused with a little steamed bun)
Dim Sum Light Pieces -- Dim vs Light & Sum vs Pieces
Enough of the silliness, let's check out the food!
The ancient Cantonese (English Canton, Chinese Guangdong) tradition of Dim Sum traces back to pre-European discovery of China and the Far East and would later be directly responsible for the English tradition of tea & crumpets (Afternoon High Tea).
Dim Sum is roughly translated by differing sources as - Little Pieces, Light Pieces, Light Meal, Little Food - remember that Chinese, as a language, especially the old style Chinese does not necessarily directly translate into modern English because the language express more of a complete thought than a singular word. Some sources even suggest that Dim Sum means "little pieces that touch the heart". Dim Sum were little treats served at Tea Tastings. This evolved into somewhat of the ancient Chinese morning and afternoon "Coffeebreak", of course they instead drank Tea, and further evolved to be a light meal offering from morning to mid-afternoon (which is why the most traditional of Chinese restaurants in the US only serve Dim Sum until mid-afternoon).
Culinarily Dim Sum is quite similar in function, if not form, to that of Tapas in Spain, Pixto in Basque, Mezes in Greece, Antipasto in Italia, and the afore mentioned crumpets, biscuits, cookies, or watercress & radish sandwiches that accompany English High Tea. It might even be loosely related to Beir & Pretzels in Germany and Coffee and Doughnuts in America ... (-;
The epitome of English High Tea in the New World is presented
daily at the historic Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia.
[Click any of the photos to go to their original sites for larger views & more info.]
Visit MrBill's Travel Blog: ¿Where the Heck are You?
