Dim Sum Glossary
I n some dim sum parlors in Hong Kong, where ingredients are prime and innovation is encouraged, the dim sum are extraordinarily diverse. The chef might experiment with the traditional recipe, creating a new variation on an old theme, or even a completely new type. There are, however, a number of standard classics, and the following glossary covers the most traditional forms which will be found in all fine dim sum restaurants - in any country.
CHA SHAO BAO (Barbecued Pork Buns) airy, globular buns with a yeast dough skin stuffed with slices of barbecued pork coated in oyster sauce.
CHANG FEN ( Stuffeds Sweet Rice Rolls) squat steamed rolls made with a slippery, white sweet-rice skin and stuffed with a shrimp, beef, or scallop filling.
CHUN JUAN ( Spring Rolls) slender, deep-fried rolls stuffed with pork, bamboo shoots, and shrimp and wrapped in thin skins made of flour and water.
DAN TA (Custard Tarts) flaky tarts with a rich and eggy custard center.
DOU SHI PAI GU (Steamed Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce) bite-sized spareribs coated with a fermented black bean sauce.
JIAN DUI ZAI (Fried Sweet Rice Balls) crisp balls of deep-fried rice powder dough stuffed with sweet red bean paste.
LO PO GAO ( Fried Turnip Cake) slices of a steamed puddinglike cake made with shredded daikon radish, chopped chinese sausage, and rice powder that are pan-fried until golden brown and crisp.
LUO MI JI (Stuffed Lotus Leaves ) steamed packages of lotus leaves stuffed with glutinous rice, chicken, diced shrimp, and black mushrooms. (The lotus leaf merely provides flavor and is not eaten.)
NIANG CHING JIAO (Stuffed Peppers ) steamed pepper halves stuffed with shrimp or fish paste.
NIANG XIEHAN (Stuffed Crab Claws ) stone crab claws that are almost completely enclosed in a ball of shrimp paste, and then deep-fried to a golden brown.
NIUROU WAN (Steamed Beef Meatballs ) meatballs made with chopped beef seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh coriander and a few other flavorings.
SHAO MAI (Steamed Pork Dumplings ) open-faced dumplings with a thin flour and water skin, stuffed with gound pork and garnished with a variety of ingredients, including peas, chopped ham, and crab roe.
XIA JAO (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings ) delicate dumplings with translucent wheat-starch skins stuffed with chopped shrimp and water chestnuts. Soy sauce and mustard are often mixed and used as a dipping sauce.
XING REN DOUFU (Almond Bean Curd ) a refreshing almond-flavored jelly usually cut into squares or diamond shapes and mixed with fresh or canned fruit salad.
YIN ZHEN FEN (Silver-Tipped Noodles ) a room-temperature dish made with homemade noodles that look like fat bean sprouts and generally garnished with egg shreds, barbecued pork and bean sprouts.
JIAO YU (Stuffed Taro Balls ) deep-fried balls made with a mashed, steamed taro skin and a pork, shrimp, and black mushroom filling.
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