Previously, we have mentioned Hang Ah, the first dimsum restaurant in the US . But what exactly is dimsum, and its related activity, known as "yum chaa" (lit: drink tea, in Cantonese)? Dimsum is the Cantonese pronunciation of 點心 (dian-xin). One version of the origin story was that dimsum was originally meant as smaller snacks presented as thank-you gestures, from the expression gratitude 點點心意 (lit: bits of our thoughts/gratitude) which got shortened to 點心. The other version cited writing from the Tang Dynasty that used the term 點心 as a verb... "(gently) point at the heart" as in "barely fill the stomach". Modern dimsum is usually associated with "yum chaa" (drink tea), which is basically a "dimsum brunch". When someone told you in Cantonese "請你飲茶" (chen-nae-yum-chaa), they are not inviting you to tea, but a dimsum brunch. Family Style Dimsum with 9 dishes (via Wikicommons) The term "dimsum" itself did not appear i...
An exploration of San Francisco Chinatown typically NOT covered by tours