On Monday DELIGHTFUL DIM SUM: THE PERFECT SUMMER BITE
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Craving a light but lip smacking meal in this sweltering weather? Try yum cha, the Cantonesestyle brunch with an endless array of dim sum and tea. The idea of yum cha (cha is the Cantonese word for tea) grew in southern China from inns that served weary travellers dumplings with tea. Dim sum (translation: to touch the heart) are Cantonese style dumplings, different from their northern counterparts, jiaozi, an umbrella term for dumplings with thin wheat skins, that can be round or oblong, pan fried, steamed, boiled or baked.
When I was in Hong Kong, parlours full of old people reading newspapers, or gossiping over yum cha — their main morning meal with unlimited dim sum served from trolleys, along with pur’er, fermented tea — was a common sight.
SKIN BETWEEN THE TEETH
How do we judge the perfect dim sum? Like India, China has hugely nuanced regional food, and the same dumpling can have different regional avatars. Of the Cantonese dumplings, you will find har gao and shumai in every dim sum brunch. The test of these dumplings is that while the skin is thin, it must have enough structural integrity to not break when held with chopsticks. You must be able to feel the skin between your teeth.
Har Gao is more delicate and translucent, thanks to the root starch used along with some wheat starch (after removing gluten). It comes filled with chopped shrimp and pork fat. Chefs are judged on how perfect their har gao is, with the ideal being 12 even folds on the delicate skin, though most have eight to 10.
Southern Chinese food uses more vegetables in combination with meats than in the north. And many a times you will find vegetable fillings inside “crystal” dumplings — where the skin is even more translucent and delicate, with root starch such as taro used in the dough. Shumai wraps, on the other hand, are opaque and made from wheatonly starch. Typically, this openmouthed dim sum has fish roe or a small carrot disc on its mouth. However, the test of a good shumai is that it has ground seasoned pork meat full of juiciness — not chopped bits.
Over the years, dumplings such as Shanghai’s Xiaolong bao, @mumbaifoodies.htcity commonly called the “soup dumpling” (with a thicker skin, and collagen-rich trimmings filled inside), or pan fried “pot stickers” have all got incorporated into the southern tradition.
CLASSICS VS INVENTIVENESS
Dim sum is not momo. It is a work of art. In Delhi, Honk at the Pullman has the best dim sum brunch unarguably. Chef Neeraj Tyagi, who has widely travelled in China researching regional traditions, offers the nuanced and extensive menu. There are also the well-loved Royal China and Shang Palace lunches focussed on classics. Others offer innovation.
Varun Tuli of Yum Yum Cha sparked a whole trend with his chicken and chilli oil dumplings that are now copied by most restaurants in Delhi. Increasingly, innovation means there are vegan options, too, such as the crystal quinoa dumpling at the trendy lounge-bar-restaurant Miso Sexy.
Often, you will see how chains such as Yauatcha, whose Mumbai outlet is stellar and perhaps the best restaurant for dim sum in India, and international chefs like the London-based Andrew Wong have their signature innovations, which get widely copied and assimilated into popular menus.
The pervasiveness of the vegetarian edamame truffle dumpling in India is an example. A Yauatcha special, it was introduced after the restaurant (part of the global chain) opened in Mumbai in 2011. It was felt that vegetarian options were required, keeping the brand’s global ethos in mind by owner Kintu Bajaj.
Whatever you choose, beyond prettiness, look for fillings that are not insipid, and skin that is delicate yet well-constructed. And enjoy your heart being touched!