What Is Dim Sum? A Beginner's Guide
By The Chowmi Test Kitchen ยท Updated June 10, 2026
Dim sum is a Cantonese tradition of small, shareable dishes served with tea, usually enjoyed for brunch. The phrase loosely means "touch the heart," and the meal of eating it is called yum cha โ "drinking tea." It originated in the teahouses of southern China and Hong Kong, where travelers and workers stopped to rest, sip tea, and snack. A dim sum spread is made up of dozens of bite-size items: steamed dumplings like har gow (shrimp) and siu mai (pork), fluffy char siu bao (barbecue pork buns), rice-noodle rolls, spring rolls, lotus-leaf rice, and sweets like egg tarts. Dishes arrive in small steamer baskets or on little plates, traditionally wheeled around on carts so you pick what looks good, and the bill is tallied by the empty dishes on your table. It's meant to be social, leisurely, and shared by the whole table.
What 'dim sum' actually means
Dim sum (้ปๅฟ) is Cantonese for a category of small dishes โ the name is often translated as "touch the heart," suggesting a little something to delight you rather than a full meal. The act of going out for dim sum is called yum cha, literally "drink tea," because tea is central to the experience: it's poured constantly, cleanses the palate between rich bites, and the whole tradition grew out of teahouses. So dim sum is the food; yum cha is the meal and the ritual around it.
The classic dishes to know
A dim sum menu can run to a hundred items, but a handful are essential. Har gow are translucent steamed shrimp dumplings with a pleated wrapper. Siu mai are open-topped pork-and-shrimp dumplings. Char siu bao are pillowy steamed (or baked) buns filled with sweet barbecue pork. You'll also find potstickers and spring rolls, cheung fun (silky rice-noodle rolls), lo mai gai (sticky rice in lotus leaf), turnip cake, chicken feet for the adventurous, and sweets like egg tarts and mango pudding. Most are steamed, some fried, all designed to be shared.
How a dim sum meal works
Dim sum is brunch food โ typically served from mid-morning to early afternoon. Traditionally, servers wheel carts of steamer baskets and small plates around the room and you flag down whatever looks good; many modern restaurants instead use a paper order sheet. Either way, dishes come in small portions meant for sharing, so a table orders broadly and everyone tries a bit of everything. Tea is refilled throughout (tap two fingers on the table to say thank you), and the check is usually calculated by counting the empty plates and baskets stacked at your table.
Dim sum vs dumplings, and making it at home
Dumplings are one part of dim sum, not the whole thing โ dim sum is the entire category of small tea-time dishes, of which dumplings are the most famous members. You don't need a restaurant to enjoy it: a batch of dumplings, some steamed buns, and spring rolls make a lovely dim sum spread at home, and a bamboo steamer does most of the work. Start with the recipes and guides below.
What Is Dim Sum? A Beginner's Guide FAQ
What does dim sum mean?
Dim sum is Cantonese for a category of small, shareable dishes, often translated as "touch the heart" โ little bites meant to delight rather than fill you up. Going out to eat it is called yum cha, meaning "drink tea," because tea is central to the meal. So dim sum refers to the food itself, served as part of the tea-focused yum cha tradition.
What's the difference between dim sum and dumplings?
Dumplings are a type of dim sum, not a synonym for it. Dim sum is the whole category of small tea-time dishes โ dumplings, buns, rolls, rice dishes, and sweets. Dumplings such as har gow and siu mai are among the most popular dim sum items, but a full dim sum spread includes much more than dumplings alone.
Is dim sum eaten for breakfast or lunch?
Both โ dim sum is essentially a brunch tradition, typically served from mid-morning through early afternoon. It's a leisurely, social meal often enjoyed on weekends with family, bridging breakfast and lunch. Some restaurants serve it into the afternoon, but classic dim sum is a daytime, tea-time affair rather than a dinner.
What should I order at dim sum?
Start with the classics: har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork dumplings), and char siu bao (barbecue pork buns). Add spring rolls, cheung fun (rice-noodle rolls), and an egg tart for dessert. Order broadly and share everything โ dim sum is meant to be a table full of small dishes that everyone tries together.
Can you make dim sum at home?
Yes. While the full restaurant variety is hard to replicate, many dim sum favorites are very doable at home โ potstickers, spring rolls, wontons, and steamed buns especially. A bamboo steamer makes it easy, and you can build a satisfying dim sum spread from a few homemade items. See our dumpling-folding guide and recipes to get started.
Recipes to try this with
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