Yum cha
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| Yum cha | |||||||||||||||
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| Yum cha hour in Hong Kong | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese: | 飲茶 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese: | 饮茶 | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning: | drinking tea | ||||||||||||||
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Yum cha is a term in Cantonese which literally means "drink tea". It refers to the custom of eating small servings of different foods while sipping Chinese tea in Cantonese speaking areas of southern China. It is an integral part of the culinary culture of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macau. In any city with a sizeable population of Cantonese people, to yum cha is a tradition on weekend mornings, and whole families gather to chat and eat dim sum and drink Chinese tea. Yum cha is also a morning ritual for the elderly to spend a good part of the morning after early morning exercise of tai chi or a walk. The tea is important, for it is said to help digest the rich foods. In the past, people went to a teahouse to yum cha, but Dim sum restaurants have been gaining overwhelming popularity of late.
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[edit] Teahouse
The ritualised drinking of tea is often practised in China. The most important work on tea making is the Cha Jing (茶經). It is the only extant work of the Tang Dynasty scholar and poet Lu Yu and was written during the 700s. He describes many aspects of tea making from the location of the teahouse to the mode of drinking. His treatise is considered definitive by many.
In Northern Imperial China teahouses were regarded as retreats for gentlemen and later for businessmen. Deals would be discussed and sealed in the neutral, relaxed surroundings of a teahouse rather than in offices.
Teahouses were and are places where disputes could be settled harmoniously over tea. Courts of law are not spots where most people feel at ease. The Chinese at times replaced this setting with a teahouse and the presence of a mutually respected arbiter. The disputing parties would agree on terms and apologies, pay for the tea, shake hands and part in peace. In the same way that insurance agencies and stock brokerages in England developed out of simple coffee shops, teahouses in China were (and still are) used as places to conduct business.
Some teahouses in Hong Kong still uphold such a tradition and are frequented by Hong Kong Chinese industrialists and entrepreneurs. Traditional teahouses can still be found in the older communities. The most well-known example in Central is the Luk Yu Teahouse, a half-century-old living monument to the sedate stylishness of old Hong Kong. Stained-glass murals and massive framed scrolls decorate white walls. The teahouse's original black ceiling fans spin idly in the air-conditioned rooms. Mirrored and marbled private wooden booths are conspiratorial businessmen's havens. To go for yum cha at the Luk Yu is to enter a new era. It is best experienced mid-morning or mid-afternoon, outside the breakfast and lunch rush hours when every seat and table is usually reserved for regular customers. This very special teahouse is Hong Kong's tribute to the 8th-Century tea master - Luk Yu being the Cantonese version of Lu Yu.
[edit] Eating utensils
[edit] Teabowl
Methods of tea-tasting have undergone considerable changes since the Tang Dynasty and the use of covered teabowls is one development of note. The simple yet practical design of covered teabowls makes them an excellent utensil for tea-tasting. The fine painting on these bowls also enhances their aesthetic value. Nowadays a small teacup is used instead in most dim sum restaurants more often than not.
[edit] Chopsticks
Chopsticks, a pair of small even-length tapered sticks, are the traditional eating utensils used to yum cha. Chopsticks are commonly made of plastic in the Chinese restaurants. Held between the thumb and fingers of the working hand they are used as tongs to pick up portions of food or to sweep rice and small particles of food into the mouth from the bowl. Dim sum dishes are served in small portions and therefore convenient for eating with chopsticks. Many rules of etiquette govern the proper conduct of the chopsticks.
[edit] Toothpicks
The use of toothpicks at a table is another typical practice. Toothpicks are frequently used between courses, as it is believed that the aftertaste of one course should not be allowed to ruin one's enjoyment of the next course.
Toothpicks have another major value in that they are ideal and socially acceptable to use picking up those meal items which often defy the best chopstick approach, such as slippery button mushrooms and jellyfish slices served with sesame oil.
[edit] Dim sum
Dim sum is usually a light meal or brunch eaten sometime from morning-to-early afternoon with family or friends. Traditional dim sum includes various types of steamed buns such as char siu baau, dumplings and rice noodle rolls, which contain a range of ingredients, including beef, chicken, pork, prawns and vegetarian options. Many dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green vegetables, roasted meats, congee porridge, and soups.
Dim sum can be cooked by steaming and frying, among other methods. The dim sum are usually small and normally served as three or four pieces in one dish. It is customary to order family style, sharing dishes among all members of the dining party. Because of the small portions people can try a wide variety of food.
Dim sum dishes can be ordered from a menu or sometimes the food is wheeled around on a trolley by servers for diners to choose from. Traditionally, the cost of the meal is calculated based on the number and size of dishes left on the patron's table. Some modern dim sum restaurants record the dishes on a bill at the table. Not only is this tidier, it also prevents patrons from cheating by concealing or stealing the plates which has been known to happen. Servers in some restaurants even use different stamps so that sales statistics for each server can be recorded.
In the US and many other English Speaking countries, the word “Dim sum” is often mistakenly used as the name for Yum cha. In fact, in Cantonese, Dim sum (點心) is a phrase for wide range of light dishes served alongside Chinese tea where Yum cha (飲茶) “tea drinking”, is the process.
[edit] Rituals
[edit] Finger tapping
Also known as finger kowtow, the action of finger-tapping – thanking someone in the traditional Chinese-style – has historical significance. When tea-sippers tap the table with three (occasionally two) fingers of the same hand, it is a silent expression of gratitude to a member of the party who refilled their cups.
The gesture recreates a tale of Imperial obedience and can be traced to the Qianlong Emperor, a Qing Dynasty emperor who used to travel incognito. While visiting South China, he once went into a teahouse with his companions. In order to maintain his anonymity, he took his turn at pouring tea. His stunned companions wanted to kowtow for the great honour. Instead of allowing them to disclose his identity, the emperor told them to tap three fingers on the table. One finger represented their bowed head and the other two represented their prostrate arms.
[edit] Refills
When a teapot needs refilling, the customer should leave the lid open. This is the polite and customary way to ask for a refill. Other options include placing the lid at a diagonal and letting it hang loose by the wire or leaving the cover balanced on the handle.
One story that explains this custom involves a poor student who supposedly hid a bird in his teapot. When the waiter came to refill the pot and lifted the lid, the bird flew away. The student made a loud fuss because it was a very precious bird, and the restaurant therefore owed him compensation. After this, all restaurants would wait for customers to lift the lid of an empty teapot for refilling. This custom is not common in northern China, where patrons may have to ask waiters to refill the pots.
In Hong Kong, this is also indicates quality of service. A sign of good service is when refills occur soon after the lid is lifted open, while below-par service is when no one refills the teapot for a long period of time.
[edit] Public chopsticks
Except eating with close family or eating alone, Hong Kong people use "public chopsticks" (公筷) to pick food from the serving dish.
[edit] Washing dishes, cups and chopsticks
Before eating, usually even before making any order, Hong Kong people wash all utensils with hot water or hot tea. They then dispose of the water in a bowl on the table. Some restaurants do not provide such a bowl and a waiter has to come to help.
[edit] Tips
Although most Chinese restaurants charge a 10% service charge, Hong Kong people still tip. Usually, the restaurants give the change in coins. For example, if the change is $10, instead of giving one $10 bill, the restaurants usually give five $2 coins or other coin combination. Customers then can decide how many coins they will take back.
[edit] Classification and pricing
There are typically 4 types of classification within dim sum that are essentially universal standards.[citation needed] The US and HK prices are not based on actual currency exchange rates. In Hong Kong weekdays are generally cheaper. Huge lines and hours of wait time are common for weekend brunch hours.
| Chinese Category name | English Category name | Sample US Price Range | Sample HK Price (Weekday morning) |
Sample HK Price (Weekday brunch) |
Sample HK Price (Weekend brunch) |
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| 小 | Small | US$1–$2 | HK$ $5.80 | HK$7.80 | HK$8.80 |
| 中 | Medium | US$2.00–$3.50 | HK$7.80 | HK$9.80 | HK$10.80 |
| 大 | Large | US$3.50–$5.00 | HK$9.50 | HK$11.80 | HK$12.80 |
| 特 | Special | US$5.00–$10.00 | HK$11.50 | HK$13.80 | HK$14.80 |
There are dishes that are outside the abovementioned four categories. Most Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong charge the tea, around US$0.7 per person, whether one drinks or not. Asking for refilling tea leaves usually does not cause extra charge. An overall 10% service charge is charged. During the first few days of Chinese New Year, the service charge can go up to 30%.
[edit] References
- Everything You Want to Know about Chinese Cooking by Pearl Kong Chen, Tien Chi Chen, and Rose Tseng. Woodbury, New York: Barron's, 1983.
- How to Cook and Eat in Chinese by Buwei Yang Chao. New York: The John Day Company, 1945.
- Dim Sum: The Delicious Secrets of Home-Cooked Chinese Tea Lunch by Rhoda Yee. San Francisco: Taylor & Ng, 1977.
- Classic Deem Sum by Henry Chan, Yukiko, and Bob Haydock. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1985.
- Chinese Dessert, Dim Sum and Snack Cookbook edited by Wonona Chong. New York: Sterling, 1986.
- Tiny Delights: Companion to the TV series by Elizabeth Chong. Melbourne: Forte Communications, 2002.
[edit] See also
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