Standard Fare of Dim Sum

Dim Sum restaurants have a wide variety of dishes, usually several dozen. Among the standard fare of dim sum include:

Gow : Gow is a standard in most teahouses. They are made of ingredients wrapped in a translucent rice-flour or wheat-flour skin. Though common, steamed rice-flour skins are quite difficult to make. Thus, it is a good demonstration of the chef's artistry to make these translucent dumplings. The most common type is ha gao, which is a shrimp dumpling with rice-flour skin. There are also dumplings with vegetarian ingredients, such as tofu and pickled cabbage.

Shrimp Dumpling: An especially delicate steamed dumpling with whole or chopped-up shrimp filling and especially thin (almost translucent) rice-flour skin.
Chiu-chao style dumplings: A dumpling said to have originated from the Chaozhou prefecture of Kwangtung province, it contains peanuts, garlic chives, pork, dried shrimp, shiitake mushrooms in a thick dumpling wrapper made from glutinous rice flour, or Tang flour. It is usually served with a small dish of chili oil.

Potsticker : Northern Chinese style of dumpling usually with meat and cabbage filling. Note that though pot stickers are sometimes served in dim sum restaurants, they are not considered traditional Cantonese dim sum.

Siu Maai: Small steamed dumplings with pork inside a thin wheat flour wrapper.

Bau: Baked or steamed, these fluffy buns are filled with different meats and vegetables. The most popular type is cha siu baau, a bun with Cantonese barbeque-flavoured pork meat and onions inside. It can be either steamed to be fluffy and white or baked with a light sugar glaze to produce a smooth golden-brown crust.

Shanghai steamed buns or Xiaolongbao: These "little juicy dumplings" are filled with meat or seafood and are famous for their flavour and rich soup inside. These dumplings are originally Shanghai-nese cuisine so they are not considered traditional Cantonese dim sum.

Congee: Rice porridge served with different savory items.
Mango pudding: A sweet, rich mango-flavoured pudding usually with large chunks of fresh mango, and served with a generous shower of condensed milk.

Char Siew Sou: A baked flaky pastry with sesame seeds and honey on the top of the pastry. It has char siu or barbequed pork with onions which is somehow similar with Chasiubao.

Spring rolls: Spring rolls consist of various types of vegetables such as sliced carrot, cabbage, mushroom and wood ear fungus, and sometimes meat, are rolled inside a thin flour skin and deep fried for a crispy outside. (library.thinkquest)


See also :
Wine
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