Reading Chinese Menus: Concepts: dim sum wrap-up!

[kake]

So, that's the end of August and the end of my dim sum extravaganza. I hope you all enjoyed it! Especially those of you who came and ate dim sum with me in real life :)

Here's a list of all the dim sum posts, in case anyone missed some:

• Concepts: 點心 — diǎn xīn — dim sum
• Characters: 點心 — diǎn xīn — dim sum
• 姜蔥牛柏葉 — jiāng cōng niú bǎi yè — beef tripe with ginger/spring onions
• 蘿蔔糕 — luó bo gāo — lo bak goh — pan-fried turnip cake
• 燒賣 — shāo mài — siu mai
• 燒肉 — shāo ròu — siu yuk — crispy roast pork belly
• 腸粉 — cháng fěn — cheung fun
• 蘿蔔絲酥餅 — luó bo sī sū bǐng — deep-fried shredded turnip puffs
• 糯米雞 — nuò mǐ jī — lo mai gai — rice in lotus leaf
• 馬來糕 — mǎ lái gāo — ma lai goh — steamed sponge cake

I think I will do this again next year! So please let me know which of your favourite dim sum items I didn't cover this time, and I'll do my very best to fit them in.

And I mean that — I want to hear from you! Yes, you! Even you lurkers thinking "nah, she doesn't mean me!" If you have trouble leaving a comment, just email me and let me know.

If you have any questions or corrections, please leave a comment (here's how) and let me know (or email me at kake@earth.li). See my introductory post to the Chinese menu project for what these posts are all about.

Comments

[nanila]

In Hawai'i we call them "manapua" but I think in Chinese they're "hum bao". Steamed pork bun, mmm!

[kake]

Are they the things I know as "char siu bao"?



Wikipedia seems to think they're very similar, at least. I haven't heard the term "hum bao" and am drawing a blank on finding a Chinese character that corresponds to "hum" in this situation... though, oh, possibly "hum bao" might come from the Vietnamese name?

Anyway, I'll definitely include these next time, yes!

[nanila]

Yes, those are the ones! You're probably right about hum bao being the Vietnamese word for them. It was the only other term I ever heard used to describe them in Hawai'i so I assumed it was Chinese.

[eatlovenoodles.blogspot.com]

I can't believe you didn't include har gau (prawn dumplings). These are the hallmark of a dim sum chef (I know I've probably said that about cheung fun). There's a Cantonese phrase 'har gau siu mai', that also symbolises dim sum. That said a great series and I'm now in the mood for dim sum.

PS: Inspired by your efforts, I'm going to start to include as many Chinese characters, as I can in relevant blog posts.

[kake]

I know, I know, har gau are probably the most obvious omission. I'll definitely put them in next time. I think I was just intimidated by the idea of trying to make them! But I do have an entire year now to get around to it, so...

Glad you enjoyed the series, and also very happy that you're going to include Chinese in your posts from now on :)

[shuripentu]

Yes! You must do ha gau! (Insert rant about the use of the letter r in transliterating Cantonese here.) I also request nai wong bau (custard buns, lai wong bau for the phonologically lazy); they are way better than tsa siu bau. :P

[kake]

Prescriptivist! :)

Will add 奶黃包 to the list, thanks!

[noodles]

I haven't any comments on what you left out, but I would like to say I appreciated the series of posts. While I haven't done more than skim read them when you've made a new post they've gone onto my "Must take a better look and actually try out the info" list (ISTR you started them not long after I had a conversation with someone in Belfast about restaurants with separate, more interesting Chinese only menus, which was good timing).

[kake]

they've gone onto my "Must take a better look and actually try out the info" list

I'm delighted to hear this, since it's exactly what I was hoping when I started this project! Please let me know how you get on.