Lung Mun, an old-styled Cantonese restaurant in Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Yum cha (Cantonese:飲茶; Japanese: ヤムチャ, kanji:喫茶), literally translated as 'drinking tea', refers to the Cantonsese custom of eating tiny tastes of many different foods while sipping a well-brewed Chinese cuppa. It is an integral part of Hong Kong's culinary culture, likewise the Guangdong Province’s. In any city with a sizeable Cantonese population, yum cha is a tradition on Sunday mornings, and whole families gather to chat and eat dim sum and gulp pot after pot of Chinese tea. The tea is important, for it is said to help digest the rich foods, which may be included in the choice of offerings. In the past, people used to go to a teahouse for yum cha, whereas dim sum restaurants have been gaining an overwhelming popularity of late. Image:DSCN1968. ... Image:DSCN1968. ... A Chow Sang Sang jewelry shop, aged over 40 years Tai Yau Arcade in Wan Chai Old-fashioned shops in Wan Chai squatters are typical examples of modern Lingnan architecture, compared to those found in Guangzhou and Taipei. ... Cantonese can refer to: Of, or pertaining to, the people of, or things from, Guangdong Province, Hong Kong or Macau in China. ... Japanese writing Kanji 漢字 Kana 仮名 Hiragana 平仮名 Katakana 片仮名 Uses Furigana 振り仮名 Okurigana 送り仮名 Romaji ローマ字 Kanji (漢字, literally characters from Han China; see also Han Chinese) are Chinese characters used in Japanese. ... The varieties of Chinese Tea are extensive with many different types grown during the Chinese Dynasties. ... Guangdong (Simplified Chinese: 广东; Traditional Chinese: 廣東; pinyin: Guǎngdōng; Wade-Giles: Kuang-tung; Kwangtung in older transliteration; Cantonese: gwong2 dung1), is a province on the south coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Dim sum (Chinese: 點心; Cantonese IPA: dɪm2sɐm1; Pinyin: diǎnxīn; Wade-Giles: tien-hsin; literally dot heart or order heart, meaning order to ones hearts content; also commonly translated as touch the heart, dotted heart, or snack), a Cantonese term, is usually a light meal or brunch, eaten sometime... Yugao-tei, Kanazawa A tea house (茶室, cha-shitsu) is a structure designed for holding Japanese tea ceremonies. ... Dim sum (Traditional Chinese: 點心; Simplified Chinese: 点心; Cantonese IPA: , Jyutping: dim2 sam1; Mandarin Pinyin: diÇŽnxÄ«n, Wade-Giles: tien-hsin; literally dot heart or order heart, meaning order to ones hearts content; also commonly translated as touch the heart, dotted heart, or snack), a Cantonese term, is usually...

Teahouse

Although the Chinese tea ceremony is not as elaborate as those developed in Japan, the ritualized drinking of tea is often still practiced. The most important work on tea making is the Cha Ching. It is the only extant work of the Tang Dynasty scholar and poet, Lu Yu, and was written about 800 BCE. 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. A tea ceremony is a ritualised form of making tea. ... The Tang Dynasty (唐朝 pinyin: tángcháo; 618–907) followed the Sui Dynasty and preceded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. ... A statue of Lu Yu located in Xian Lu Yu (陆羽) (733 – 804) is respected as the Sage of Tea for his contribution to Chinese tea culture. ... For other uses, see number 800. ...

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.

Some teahouses in Hong Kong still uphold such a tradition, and are frequented by British government officers as well as Hong Kong Chinese industrialists and entrepreneurs. This being Hong Kong, however, dim sum are positively available. Teahouses were, and are, also places where disputes could be settled harmoniously over tea. Courts of law were not spots where Chinese felt at ease. They preferred to accept the judgment of a reciprocally respected arbiter. The disputing parties would agree terms and apologies, pay for the tea, shake hands, and part in peace. In the same way that London later developed its insurance and stock broking businesses out of simple coffee shops, so the Chinese were using teahouses as places to conduct business. Dim sum (Chinese: 點心; Cantonese IPA: dɪm2sɐm1; Pinyin: diǎnxīn; Wade-Giles: tien-hsin; literally dot heart or order heart, meaning order to ones hearts content; also commonly translated as touch the heart, dotted heart, or snack), a Cantonese term, is usually a light meal or brunch, eaten sometime...

Today in Hong Kong, traditional teahouses are still to 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 appropriate compliment to that 8th-Century tea master - Luk Yu being the Cantonese version of Lu Yu. The night view of the Central as viewed from Tsim Sha Tsui on the opposite side of the Victoria Harbour Central (Chinese: 中環; Jyutping: zung1 waan4; Cantonese IPA: ; Pinyin: Zhōnghuán) is an area located in Central and Western District, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. ...

Eating utensils

A typical set of eating utensils for yum cha.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 698 KB)Photoed by Jerry Crimson Mann 3 July 2005 20:17 (UTC). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 698 KB)Photoed by Jerry Crimson Mann 3 July 2005 20:17 (UTC). ...

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 restaurant more often than not. The Tang Dynasty (唐朝 pinyin: tángcháo; 618–907) followed the Sui Dynasty and preceded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. ...

Chopsticks

Chopsticks, a pair of small even-length tapered sticks, are the traditional eating utensils for yum cha. Chopsticks are commonly made of plastic in the Chinese restaurant. Held between the thumb and fingers of the working hand, they are used as tongs to take up portions of the food, which is brought to the table cut up into small and convenient pieces, or as means for sweeping the rice and small particles of food into the mouth from the bowl. Many rules of etiquette govern the proper conduct of the chopsticks. Chopsticks, a pair of small even-length tapered sticks, are the traditional eating utensils of East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, the four chopstick countries) as well as Thailand, where they are now restricted to just soup and noodles since the introduction of Western utensils by King Rama V... 2 (two) is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. ... In general terms, eating is the process of consuming something edible. ... The term plastics covers a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic polymerization products. ... Tongs are gripping and lifting tools, of which there are many forms adapted to their specific use. ...

Toothpick

The manipulation of toothpicks at a table is another typical practice. As in most Asian countries, the polite way to deal with lodged fragments of food is to cover one's mouth with one hand while the toothpick is being used with the other. 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. A toothpick is a piece of wood or other substance to remove food from the teeth after a meal. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ...

Toothpicks have another major value. They are ideal, and socially acceptable, for picking up those meal items which often defy the best chopstick approach, such as slippery button mushrooms and jellyfish slices served with sesame oil. Binomial name Agaricus bisporus The button mushroom, also called the white mushroom, common mushroom, cultivated mushroom, and called champignon de Paris in France, is is one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms in the world. ... Orders Stauromedusae Coronatae Semaeostomae - Disc jellyfish Rhizostomae Jellyfish (also called jellies or sea jellies as they are not true fish) are animals that belong to Phylum Cnidaria, included in the class Scyphozoa (from Greek skyphos cup and zoon animal). The name jellyfish is also sometimes used for the related classes... Binomial name Sesamum indicum Sesame (Sesamum indicum)is a crop grown primarily for its seeds. ...

Dim sum

Main article : Dim sum

Dim sum (Chinese: 點心; Cantonese IPA: dɪm2sɐm1; Pinyin: diǎnxīn; Wade-Giles: tien-hsin; literally dot heart or order heart, meaning order to ones hearts content; also commonly translated as touch the heart, dotted heart, or snack), a Cantonese term, is usually a light meal or brunch, eaten sometime...

Rituals

Finger tapping

A tea-drinker tapping the table with her fingers to show gratitude to the member of the party who has re-filled her cup.

Also known as finger kowtow, The finger-tapping ritual of thanking someone in the traditional Chinese-style yum cha has much historical significance. When you see tea-sippers tapping the table with three fingers of the same hand, it is a silent expression of gratitude to the member of the party who has re-filled their cups. The gesture recreates a tale of Imperial obeisance. It can be traced to 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 sustain 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 two fingers on the table. One finger represented their bowed head and the other represented their prostrate arms. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 710 KB)Photoed by Jerry Crimson Mann 3 July 2005 19:11 (UTC). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 710 KB)Photoed by Jerry Crimson Mann 3 July 2005 19:11 (UTC). ... The Qianlong Emperor (born Hongli, September 25, 1711–February 7, 1799) was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China. ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qÄ«ng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of Inner Asia, establishing... North China (北方 Hanyu pinyin: Běifāng) and South China (南方 Hanyu pinyin: Nánfāng) are two approximate regions within China. ... Kowtowing Kowtow, from the Chinese term kòu tóu (Cantonese: kau tàuh) (叩頭), is the act of deep respect shown by kneeling and bowing so low as to touch the head to the ground. ...

Taking away the lid from the teapot before refilling

Just as the arrival of food is ongoing, the supply of tea is incessant. When a teapot is unfilled, the customer need only leave the lid up, and it will be whisked away and refilled. This is a polite way to ask for the teapot to be refilled with fresh hot water: by lifting the lid off and letting it hang loose by the wire or cord that binds it to the pot, or balanced in the handle.

One story told to explain this custom involves a poor student who hid a bird in his teapot. When the waiter came to refill the pot and lifted the lid, the bird flew away. According to his plan, the student made a loud fuss. It was a very precious bird, he said, and the restaurant owed him compensation. After this, the restaurant—and all others—decided to wait for customers to lift the lid of an empty teapot if a refill was needed. It should be noted that this custom is usually not observed in northern China, and patrons may have to verbally request waiters refill the pots. Alternatively, staff at the resturant may take the intiative to ask or check if your pot needs refilling.

This is also a good indicator how good the service is. The best service is when the teapot filler goes around to each table taking a feel of how full your pot is and automatically refills it before you ever run out during the entire meal. Below par service is when your teapot lid is constantly open, meaning the waiters aren't paying attention to you. This could dictate the amount of tip that is left for the staff.

Reference

• 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: Cooking Dim Sum and Simple Chinese Dishes by Elizabeth Chong. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1987.

See also

• dim sum
• Tourism in Hong Kong