Alright, let me tell you about this little project I tackled recently. I’ve always loved dim sum, but sometimes I’d get the names mixed up, or I wouldn’t be quite sure what I was ordering just by the name. So, I decided I needed to properly get to grips with dim sum names and have some pictures to go along with them. Just for my own reference, you know, and maybe to help out friends when we go eat.
Getting Started
First thing I did was just grab a notebook. I started by jotting down all the dim sum dishes I could remember off the top of my head. Things like Siu Mai, Har Gow, Char Siu Bao – the usual suspects. My memory wasn’t too bad, but I knew there were loads more.
Then, I went online. I wasn’t looking for anything too fancy, just some good, solid lists of common dim sum items. I browsed a few restaurant menus, looked at some food blogs, that kind of thing. I just wanted to expand my initial list and make sure I wasn’t missing any big ones.
The Picture Hunt
Once I had a decent list of names, the next step was finding pictures. This was actually a bit more time-consuming than I thought. I wanted clear pictures where you could really see what the dish was. Not some artsy shot where it’s half hidden in shadow, you know?
I spent a good few hours just searching for images. For each name on my list, I’d type it in and look through the results. I tried to find pictures that looked like what I’d typically get in a restaurant. Sometimes, a dish would have a few variations in how it looked, so I tried to pick the most common representation.
I saved the pictures into a folder on my computer, making sure to name the image file the same as the dim sum dish. That was important for keeping things organized later on.
Putting It All Together
After I had a good collection of names and their corresponding pictures, I needed a way to view them easily. I thought about making a fancy spreadsheet or something, but honestly, I just wanted it simple.
So, I decided to create a simple document. I just went down my list:
- I’d type the name of the dim sum.
- Then, I’d insert the picture I’d found for it right underneath.
I did this for every single item. It took a while, copy-pasting, resizing images a bit so they weren’t too huge. I also added a few extra notes for some items, like if it was steamed, fried, or baked, or what the main fillings usually were. Just little reminders for myself.
What I Ended Up With
In the end, I had this nice, straightforward document. Each page, or section, had a dim sum name, a clear picture, and maybe a short note. It wasn’t anything revolutionary, but it was super practical. Now, when I’m thinking about dim sum, or if someone asks me what a particular dish is, I can just pull up my little guide.
It was a pretty satisfying little task, actually. I learned a few new names myself, and it’s definitely made ordering a bit easier, especially when trying new places. Plus, it’s just nice to have it all visually laid out. Sometimes you see a picture and think, “Oh, that’s what that’s called!” It was a good way to spend an afternoon, and I got a useful little resource out of it.
