Making Dim Sum at Home

[Tepee]

LOL, I saw this too, and was just about to post it! I'll have to thank Sue-On for curbing my over-enthusiasm in the eG dim sum cook-off. I suppose, as a homecook, I can control the sodium to some extent, but it won't be the same thing if too much fats are removed from a recipe.

[origamicrane]

this is pretty daft

as suzy said too much of any food gonna make you fat.

I eat dim sum once a week and I don't think I would want dim sum more then once a week ? or is that just me ??

And when was the last time you saw a fat person in hong kong?

unhealthy or unfit yes!

but fat ? no

unless they were a 40+ housewife ( ouh i'm gonna get flamed for that! )

I think the average girl in hk is like a size 6

and trying to find XL guys clothing in HK like a major struggle

i know i am XL.

[Vince]

Has anyone else seen this short article from AP news? I understand it intellectually, but can't accept it emotionally!

EDIT: copyrighted material removed.

Re-Edit:

Sorry for the mistake. Here is a link to the AP News Article for those interested.

(AP Report)

Edited April 15, 2005 by Vince (log)

[Dejah]

Such party poopers!

They focused on fat content and sodium, but what about the sugar content in waterchestnut cake and bean soup!

That's why we need to make these items at home. We can be more health conscious and adjust the ingredients, then just go out once in a while an OD at restaurants!

Moderation is the key word. Repeat after me!

[Jason Perlow]

I don't care if Dim Sum turns out to be cancerous, can make you criminally insane, or vastly increases your exposure to getting hit by lightning. I'm still eating it almost every weekend.

[Gastro888]

To answer origamicrane's question about seeing a fat person in HK, yes I've seen one before and they weren't a housewife over the age of 40. But they were wee lil' ones...

The average size of a HK girl OR guy is like a 2. Last time I was there a few years ago as a solid size 8, I was considered fat. (Oh, the joys of my people...::rolls eyes::)

Part of the reason why HK people are so slender is genes, part of it is the walking, the other part is diet including portion size. (I'm sure there are other reasons why HK people don't like curves on a woman but that's another thread.)

I'd rather eat platefuls of har gow than a box of frozen Lean Cuisine.

[Yuki]

The point about going to dim sum is not to fill you up, it is more like a time to socialize with families and read the newspaper.

It is very typical for my family(4 people) to go for 2 hrs of dim sum and order only 6-8 dishes. The elderly people go out for dim sum every morning after their morning walk and exercies, but they only eat a bit. The most common dim sum ordered by the elderly would be a starch dish like congee, or a steamed rice dish with chicken, preserved meat, or meat patties. They might also order one or two dim sum to go with the main starch dish. It is important to realize that people usually do not pig out when it comes to dim sum in Hong Kong since it is available everywhere.. what's the point of stuffing yourself??

Remember that moderation is the key!! Also exercising regularly so you can indulge in fatty food might also be a good idea.

[sheetz]

For me, this falls under the heading of "DUH!" They put tons of pork fat into everything. Of course they are fattening. That's why they taste so good!

[Gastro888]

I'd rather have pork fat than hydrogenated oils and whatnot any day!

Pork fat...the secret to beautiful Chinese skin. ::LOL::

[gus_tatory]

For me, this falls under the heading of "DUH!" They put tons of pork fat into everything.  Of course they are fattening.  That's why they taste so good!

←

yeah, and you eat such a small quantity of everything, and as people have said, it's not an everyday activity.

keep on eating the dim sum, folks, is my advice. take a 30-minute stroll with loved ones afterwards if necessary , but don't forsake the dim sum!

[Ben Hong]

When it comes to dim sum, I am not, cannot be, and WILL not be a moderate man. Give me taro puffs or give me death.

[rjwong]

When I first read the article last night, I was so incensed that I decided to have dim sum for lunch. Because I work in downtown LA, I can walk from my office, to my Chinese deli, buy some har gow, siu mai, shrimp dumplings with chives, shrimp dumplings with cilantro, & two char siu bows (baked), and walk back to my office in about 30-40 minutes. After I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch, I did feel like one plump lop cheung.

BTW, my Chinese deli has dim sum available every day, starting at 7:30 a.m. I feel so spoiled ...

[jo-mel]

OK -- so this is a "government's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department" research report. Who is the underlying sponsor or who paid for it? Someone with a PC agenda?

Sure a plate of jelly fish has this much this and a plate of beef balls has so much that, but who eats the whole plate of any one thing? I know I mix and match and usually have only one bite of what ever is on the plate. I balance out the choices and even if I had one or two bites of each thing that comes by, it is pretty balanced because whatever comes by is pretty balanced.

I can think of a couple of meals that are high fat, high sodium, high whatever and something eaten to excess. How about Christmas or the American Thanksgiving dinner? How about any festive Chinese banquet. Do they dare tackle that!

A pox on them all!

Before you know it, there will be a study of a bowl of congee saying it doesn't have enough fiber or protein, or the condiments on top are too high in sodium.

Nuts to them!!

[rjwong]

OK -- so this is a "government's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department" research report. Who is the underlying sponsor or who paid for it? Someone with a PC agenda?

jo-mel, ask and you shall receive. I found the official report on this website.

[jschyun]

I'd rather have pork fat than hydrogenated oils and whatnot any day!

Pork fat...the secret to beautiful Chinese skin.  ::LOL::

←

For the full effect, rub the dumplings on your cheeks.

[hzrt8w]

The point about going to dim sum is not to fill you up, it is more like a time to socialize with families and read the newspaper.

←

I agree. That is most Hong Kongers' habit.

For 20 years since he retired, everyday my father went to do his morning walk, followed by visiting one of the few of his favorite dim sum places and read newspaper for an hour. He always ordered only 1 or 2 dishes of dim sum.

I can't have dim sum everyday. No... Just can't do it. May be once every 2 days!

Edited April 16, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Stupid article; Reuters should be ashamed. It has little useful information, and is it really a news flash that food that has been deep fried or contains fats tends to have more calories and other things you shouldn't eat exclusively? Maybe next they can expose church suppers and Girl Scout cookies for the nutritional evils that they are....

Meanwhile, I must ask Yuki to clarify:

The point about going to dim sum is not to fill you up, it is more like a time to socialize with families and read the newspaper.

←

We go regularly to our wonderful dim sum restaurant, Lucky Garden in North Providence RI, where two ex-HK chef brothers work tirelessly with their family members to produce happiness in my and my family's bellies. We are going there today, in fact, to celebrate our daughter's first month. And when we go, let me tell you, we are going to fill up, as in "don't need dinner tonight, kids" fill up. From the looks of the many other people who are there, some of whom hail from HK originally, they're filling up, too.

So isn't it possible both to socialize and fill up? I get the little plate concept and I realize that there are different cultures of eating, but when you can get food like this only once a week or so, why wouldn't you want to enjoy it to the extent you can?

edited twice to clarify the particular form of evil manifested by church suppers and Girl Scout cookies -- ca

Edited April 17, 2005 by chrisamirault (log)

[Yuki]

Stupid article; Reuters should be ashamed. It has little useful information, and is it really a news flash that food that has been deep fried or contains fats tends to have more calories and other things you shouldn't eat exclusively? Maybe next they can expose church suppers and Girl Scout cookies for the societal evils that they are....

Meanwhile, I must ask Yuki to clarify:

The point about going to dim sum is not to fill you up, it is more like a time to socialize with families and read the newspaper.

←

We go regularly to our wonderful dim sum restaurant, Lucky Garden in North Providence RI, where two ex-HK chef brothers work tirelessly with their family members to produce happiness in my and my family's bellies. We are going there today, in fact, to celebrate our daughter's first month. And when we go, let me tell you, we are going to fill up, as in "don't need dinner tonight, kids" fill up. From the looks of the many other people who are there, some of whom hail from HK originally, they're filling up, too.

So isn't it possible both to socialize and fill up? I get the little plate concept and I realize that there are different cultures of eating, but when you can get food like this only once a week or so, why wouldn't you want to enjoy it to the extent you can?

←

I think one of the reasons why we don't fill ourselve up at dim sum is because we usually get to the restaurant before 9. Dim sum is viewed as a breakfast to tide us over until we get to our late lunch or tea time. Another reason why my family do not eat up is because we prefer to eat lots of small meal, and even if we decided to pig out on a meal, it certainly would not be on dim sum. I am not saying that dim sum is not good but I have been getting dim sum for many years and I can get decent quality dim sum whenever I want. If I fill myself up every weekend on dim sum then I can not eat other delicious food.

I was brought up by my grandma's friend, and they brought me to dim sum every morning after the morning walk. We got to the dim sum restaurant by 8:00, and stayed there for an hour or two. After the dim sum, we went to the market to buy some food for lunch and dinner. The lunch was consisted of mostly vegetable, a bit of meat/fish, and soup. I guess I was just brought up with the idea that dim sum is not suppose to be a big meal?

I understand that some people would order a full table of dim sum, and of course they are able to fill up and socialize at the same time. I just do not think it is a sensible way of eating when I have to maintain my weight and still eat lots of yummy food.

[Dejah]

I was brought up by my grandma's friend, and they brought me to dim sum every morning after the morning walk. We got to the dim sum restaurant by 8:00, and stayed there for an hour or two. After the dim sum, we went to the market to buy some food for lunch and dinner.

←

Your comment about dim sum every moring before the market brought back a dim memory of when I was young. I was the only one of 4 kids with whom my dad spent time after I was born. He was in China for about 1.5 years before returning to Canada. My "memory" is what my Mom told me. He'd take me to his fav. tea house, meet with his friends and gossip over tea and dumplings, and jook for me. Then we'd go to the market and shop for the day's meals. Never got to spend this kind of quality time with my Dad again.

[hzrt8w]

We go regularly to our wonderful dim sum restaurant, Lucky Garden in North Providence RI, .....

So isn't it possible both to socialize and fill up? I get the little plate concept and I realize that there are different cultures of eating, but when you can get food like this only once a week or so, why wouldn't you want to enjoy it to the extent you can?

←

I think what Yuki described was very typical of Hong Kongers' dim sum habits in Hong Kong (reading newspaper and eats little), especially among the retirees.

The dim sum culture in Rhode Island, or in general North America, is very different. While I do see patrons reading newspaper at the table (my FIL ), you don't find them to be as common as you would in Hong Kong.

To Hong Kongers, dim sum is so readily available everywhere, everyday, any time (okay okay, morning and lunch, but they are working on changing that unwritten rule too to offer dim sum at night now, and dim sum at Hong Kong style "fast food" outfits)... so it is not a big deal. You can fill up your stomach with it to your heart's content. Or, you can eat just a little bit and then have a something-over-rice plate at lunch. In North America, dim sum is mostly lunch, or brunch. I have not seen a dim sum restaurant open before 10:00am, except those in large China Town such as San Francisco.

If this is a once-a-week or even once-a-month event, sure you probably treat it as a full meal.

When I was 19, I got out from my Outward Bound training which lasted 26 days (during which there was a training event called "solo" where each person was sent to stay on an island without food for 3 days). All the trainees in the camp were deprived of any decent meal. So four of us got together the first Sunday morning after the camp and had dim sum in a restaurant at the Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui. Back in those days, they left every empty dim sum dish at the table so that in the end the waiter would tally up how many dishes you ordered and then calculate the total on your bill. Between the 4 of us, we had 40 plates!!! Empty dishes and bamboo steamers, large or small, were stacking up to my eye-level! We can't even see each other's face towards the end of the meal. Boy, I had never eaten so much dim sum all in one meal in my life, before or since.....

Edited April 17, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Yes, of course, this sort of cultural relativism is what I was trying to get at with my marble-mouthed shorthand. Sorry for not being clearer up there!

[Transparent]

Having Dim Sum is not eating steamer baskets full of food all to yourself. Even if a person somehow manage to overfill him/herself, it's not like a once-a-week thing will cause obesity. Hell, I sometimes eat Dim Sum twice a week. And I'm far from obsese. Very, very far.

[origamicrane]

and another thing

i'm pretty sure when it comes to the health of a nation

The chinese do pretty well compared to other countries!!

Anyone know where we stand in the world league of longevity and health?

[Bux]

I don't care if Dim Sum turns out to be cancerous, can make you criminally insane, or vastly increases your exposure to getting hit by lightning.  . . .

←

Now that you mention it, I suppose the larger one is, the greater one's chances are of getting hit by lightning.

From the dire warnings I read about in the newspapers and the stuff I hear on TV, I'm quite convinced the only way to extend my life is to die of starvation. They go so far as to say not to eat dim sum daily as if a few pork dumplings a day will kill me. A more reasonable suggestion might be not to take three meals of dim sum a day, just as I'd suggest not eating a typical American breakfast three times a day.

[Hector]

Dim Sum is so irristibly good it's dangerous! then again I only eat it like once a year.. I can only find real Dim Sum at one restaurant around here.