Alright, so someone asked me the other day, “What does ‘dim sum’ actually mean in English?” And you know, I paused. It’s one of those things you just know, but then explaining it simply? That’s a whole other kettle of fish. I’ve been eating dim sum for ages, going to those bustling restaurants on a Sunday morning, the whole nine yards.
My First Attempt at Explaining
My first thought was to say, “Oh, it’s like Chinese tapas.” And yeah, that kinda works, a little bit. Small plates, lots of variety, meant for sharing. But it felt… incomplete. Too simplistic. Like calling a symphony just “a bunch of sounds.” It misses the heart of it, no pun intended, even though “dim sum” literally translates to something like “touch the heart” or “point of the heart.”
I remember trying to explain it to a friend from way out of town. I took him to my favorite spot. He saw the carts rolling by, piled high with these little steamer baskets and plates. He was amazed. I said, “See? This is dim sum.” But he was still a bit like, “So, it’s just small Chinese food?”
Digging a Bit Deeper (My Way)
So, I had to really think about how I’d describe it. It’s not just what the food is, but how you eat it, when you eat it. For me, the “meaning” in English isn’t just a translation of the words; it’s the whole experience.
- It’s a meal: Usually brunch or lunch, though some places do it for dinner now, which feels a bit weird to me, but hey.
- It’s variety: You don’t just order one big dish. You get lots of little things. Steamed buns, dumplings, rolls, maybe some tarts. Savory, sweet, a mix of everything.
- It’s social: You go with family, with friends. You share everything. You point at what you want from the carts, or you tick things off a long paper menu. Lots of chatter, tea constantly being refilled.
I tried looking up “official” definitions online once, just to see what they said. Some were super academic, talking about Cantonese culinary traditions and the history of teahouses along the Silk Road. All very interesting, I guess, but not what you tell your mate when he’s just trying to figure out what har gow is.
So, What’s My “Real” English Meaning?
If I had to nail it down for someone who’s never experienced it, I wouldn’t just translate “touch the heart.” I’d say something like:
“Dim sum is a traditional Chinese meal made up of a wide variety of small, shareable dishes, often served from rolling carts in a lively restaurant setting, typically enjoyed for brunch or lunch with tea.”
But even that feels a bit like a dictionary. The truth is, I started realizing that for many people, “dim sum” has just become a catch-all for any kind of small, bite-sized Asian snack. I’ve seen places offer “sushi dim sum” which just makes my brain hurt a little. Like, no, that’s not it. It’s like calling a hot dog a “beef Wellington bite.”
So, yeah, the literal translation is “touch the heart.” And it does! Those little morsels are delightful. But the “meaning in English,” in practical terms, for me, has become more about conveying the entire experience – the communal eating, the little plates, the tea, the noise, the joy. It’s an event, not just a food category. That’s what I ended up telling my friend, and I think he sort of got it then, especially after we’d demolished about ten baskets of food.