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Dim Sum Dish↕ | Category↕ | Key Ingredient / Filling↕ | Cooking Method↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Har Gow (Shrimp Dumpling) | Steamed dumpling | Whole shrimp with bamboo shoots | Steamed in bamboo basket | The benchmark of a dim sum chef's skill — translucent pleated wheat starch wrapper must have exactly 7-10 folds, should be see-through enough to see the pink shrimp inside, one of the 'Big Four' dim sum items, texture should be bouncy not mushy |
Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling) | Open-top steamed dumpling | Pork, shrimp, mushroom | Steamed in bamboo basket | Open-topped dumpling with a thin yellow wonton wrapper, topped with a dot of crab roe or carrot for color, another of the 'Big Four,' originating from Inner Mongolia, the meat filling should be chunky not smooth, satisfyingly plump little parcels |
Char Siu Bao (BBQ Pork Bun) | Steamed or baked bun | Cantonese BBQ pork (char siu) in sweet glaze | Steamed (fluffy white) or baked (golden glazed) | Steamed version has a cloud-white fluffy bun that splits open on top revealing sweet red BBQ pork, baked version has a golden glazed crust, one of the 'Big Four,' the sweet-savory filling is addictive, Tim Ho Wan's baked version won a Michelin star |
Cheung Fun (Rice Noodle Roll) | Steamed rice noodle | Shrimp, beef, or char siu (varies) | Steamed and rolled, served with soy sauce | Silky-smooth rice noodle sheets rolled around fillings and doused in sweetened soy sauce, the last of the 'Big Four,' watching the chef pour batter on a cloth-stretched steamer and roll it is mesmerizing, plain version with just soy sauce is equally beloved |
Egg Tart (Dan Tat) | Baked pastry | Egg custard in flaky or shortcrust pastry | Baked until custard is just set | Portuguese-influenced via Macau — Lord Stow's Bakery in Macau created the modern version, two styles: flaky puff pastry (Macanese) or cookie-crust (Hong Kong), the custard should wobble when you tap it, the most perfect two-bite dessert in dim sum |
Lo Mai Gai (Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf) | Steamed rice parcel | Glutinous rice, chicken, mushroom, Chinese sausage | Steamed wrapped in lotus leaf | Unwrapping the lotus leaf releases an incredible fragrant steam, the rice absorbs flavors from all the fillings and the leaf itself, substantial enough to be a meal on its own, one of the most satisfying dim sum items, the aroma is half the experience |
Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go) | Pan-fried cake | Shredded daikon radish, rice flour, Chinese sausage, dried shrimp | Steamed then pan-fried until crispy | Lunar New Year essential that appears year-round at dim sum, steamed first then sliced and pan-fried for crispy exterior with soft interior, the Chinese sausage and dried shrimp create umami depth, 'turnip' is actually daikon radish — mistranslation that stuck |
Phoenix Claws (Chicken Feet) | Braised and steamed | Chicken feet in fermented black bean sauce | Deep-fried, then braised, then steamed | The dim sum item that separates tourists from regulars — deep-fried then braised until collagen-rich skin melts off the bone, the fermented black bean sauce is deeply savory, you eat them by gnawing the skin and cartilage off tiny bones, texture is the whole point |
Spare Ribs with Black Bean (Pai Gwat) | Steamed meat dish | Pork spare ribs, fermented black beans, garlic, chili | Steamed on a bed of taro or directly | Bite-sized pork rib segments steamed until tender with a punchy black bean and garlic sauce, often served on a bed of taro which soaks up all the sauce, the bones make these fun to eat, a savory heavyweight on the dim sum cart |
Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumpling) | Steamed dumpling | Pork filling with aspic that melts into hot soup | Steamed in bamboo basket (thin wrapper) | Technically a Shanghai specialty not Cantonese dim sum, but appears on most dim sum menus now, the magic of biting through delicate wrapper to find hot soup inside, the spoon-vinegar-ginger ritual, Din Tai Fung elevated it to an art form with precisely 18 folds |
Wu Gok (Taro Dumpling) | Deep-fried dumpling | Taro mash exterior with pork filling | Deep-fried until lacy crispy exterior | The most visually stunning dim sum item — deep-frying creates a spectacular lacy crispy taro shell around a savory pork filling, the contrast between crunchy exterior and smooth taro and savory pork is extraordinary, looks like a golden bird's nest |
Congee (Jook) | Rice porridge | Rice slow-cooked until broken down, various toppings | Long slow simmer (hours) | The comfort food that anchors every dim sum breakfast, century egg and pork congee is the classic, rice cooked so long it becomes a creamy porridge, sampan congee with seafood, congee is the original sick-day food across all of Asia |
Sesame Balls (Jin Deui) | Deep-fried pastry | Glutinous rice flour filled with red bean or lotus paste | Deep-fried until puffed and golden | Hollow crispy balls coated in sesame seeds that shatter when you bite into them, the dough magically puffs up during frying to create a cavity, sweet red bean paste inside, one of the most recognizable dim sum desserts, satisfying crunch-to-chew ratio |
Steamed Pork Bun (Da Bao) | Large steamed bun | Pork, egg, mushroom mixture | Steamed | The bigger, more substantial cousin of char siu bao, filled with a savory pork mixture often including hard-boiled egg and mushroom, the fluffy white dough is pillow-soft, a single bao can be a meal, the quintessential Chinese street food turned dim sum staple |
Mango Pudding | Chilled dessert | Fresh mango puree with gelatin or agar | Set in refrigerator (no bake) | The quintessential dim sum dessert finale, creamy mango pudding topped with evaporated milk, Hong Kong invention that spread worldwide, best versions use Alphonso or Philippine mangoes, ranges from jiggly gelatin to creamy mousse depending on the restaurant |
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