Born in Hong Kong, I was never far from the sounds and smells of these dim sum restaurants. One of my earliest memories is of watching these dim sum carts roll by in the restaurant, piled high with bamboo steamers; it feels like the whole restaurant is blanketed in the stream. That’s when I’d be practically bouncing in my seat, staring at my parents, just waiting for them to nod so I could point out my favorite dishes. The lady pushing the cart would smile, lifting the lids off steamers to reveal little treasures inside: dumplings filled with shrimp, shiny and translucent; fluffy white cha siu bao, which is a bun with a surprise of sweet, sticky pork tucked inside; and the delicious siu mai,  which comes with a wrapper made from thin yellow dough that barely covered the juicy pork and shrimp filling or just fried rice sometimes. 

All these small dishes have brought my mind back to the days I was in Hong Kong, to me, dim sum is so much more than just food; it is a reminder of my roots, it stands for the region where I was born and grew up in, it serves as a symbol of the Cantonese history: dim sum’s story starts in the welcoming atmosphere of traditional Chinese tea houses, which were built along the silk road in China as long ago as 2,500 years (McNamee), tired travelers on the road would find comfort in these small, tasty bites that were perfectly complemented with the warm tea. Over the centuries, it has grown from these humble beginnings into a celebrated culinary experience, transforming from a simple snack to a diverse dining tradition that delights a wide range of tastes and preferences (Gregg). Nowadays, there are over 2000 different dim sum dishes that vary in flavor, texture, cooking methods, etc (Yang).