Dim Sum! The meaning behind the edibles you love
Ever wondered why Dim Sum is called Dim Sum?
There are no fixed answers as to why it is called Dim Sum, but there are so many cool versions of the stories behind its origin.
Before I introduce the few versions of the stories behind Dim Sum, here’s what the Chinese characters mean individually. It’s important to decipher the few ideas put together which make up those characters.
点心 (Dim Sum)
点 can mean ‘dot’ or ‘lightly touch’ like a dot.
心 means heart.
Put those characters together and you get a light touch on your heart.
How cute is that!
Imagine the bite-sized tiny food in tiny amounts in those tiny baskets. It’s such a nice idea that they should playfully and lightly touch your heart.
With that in mind, here are 3 stories I have gathered which could have been the original root of the words, and the food we so love at breakfast or tea time.
1. Dim Sum: Food of Gratitude on The Battlefield.
This legend is based on the relationship between civilians and soldiers.
It is said to have taken place in the Jin Dynasty, behind the kindness of the war heroine General Lady Liang. On the battlefield, soldiers who fought valiantly caught the heart of the General. To repay them with gratitude, she gathered civilians to send food to them.
Taking a guess, food portions must have been small seeing that they had to be transferred to battle camps. Food in small portions like Dim Sum.
And of course, the endearing part of this is a gesture. A gesture of thanks as the food was sent to ‘lightly touch’ the hearts of the soldiers.
Hence, the food in bamboo baskets was named after the anecdotal memory- a ‘light touch on the heart’, 点心.
2. Dim Sum: A Substitute for Waiting Out Time
This version stands in the timeline later than the first story- the Song Dynasty.
It is said to be recorded in the Book of Tang, where one suggests to the other to ‘lightly touch your heart’ and keep oneself busy first by eating Dim Sum, whilst the host continues to prepare the unfinished big meal.
It explains why the quantity of Dim Sum in baskets came in small quantities. It was an entertainment snack before dinner time, whilst the real dinner was being prepared.
3. Dim Sum: Snack of The Silk Road
This version is a more commonly heard one.
2000 years ago, Chinese travelers on the Silk Road had to travel long distances. They would stop for breaks in between the journey, and that’s where the need for tea houses and snacks started.
Those snacks were Dim Sum served in small bites served with tea for better digestion. It is also said that the etymology of ‘Dim Sum’ could link to the idea that it ‘hit the spot’ of appetite satisfaction.
And hence, the name 点心, ‘dot’ and ‘heart’. Dim Sum hit the small satisfaction spot in you.
And that’s it!
Which is your favorite version?
Which do you believe to be the true origin?
Do you know any other story versions?
Feel free to share with me :)
