The little dishes favored by the Cantonese are known collectively as dim sum, which literally means ΓÇ£dot the heart,ΓÇ¥ a phrase we have always thought implied small, pointed pleasures. Dim sum are associated with yam cha, or tea takingΓÇöthe long, leisurely morning ritual of sitting and talking, sipping and nibbling. Originally the participants were men doing their businessΓÇöreal or imaginedΓÇöbut today the whole family enjoys the process. Dim sum restaurants tend to be cavernous; servers circulate with carts containing a wide assortment of dumplings, prepared meats and vegetables, and other items, both sweet and savory, arrayed on little plates. Summoned by a beckon or nod, servers deposit the plates on the table, then move on to the next; oneΓÇÖs bill is calculated by the number of empty plates accumulated. The essential beverage with dim sum is tea. Even in areas of China where the dim sum tradition as such does not exist, street vendors offer snacks such as sweetened nuts, and eggs cooked in a flavorful tea mixture and little dishes such as scallion pancakes and pickled vegetables are widely popular.
