Last weekend I had my first Dim Sum in Chinatown, Chicago. I huddled with my nieces over pots of tea, dumplings, and custard filled desserts shaped like pigs.
Dim Sum is officially defined as a meal of small plates, usually in steamer baskets, served with tea.
Dim Sum is delish.
I dove into Dim Sum. And after I decided that my tummy could fit……. One. More. Dumpling, my dear friend Poling explained Dim Sum to me.
Dim Sum is not just a meal, it’s a meaning.
“Dim, is a dot, or a speck. Sum means heart. Dim Sum is a bit of heart,” she said.
Well, that is a lovely definition for a meal.
“That is amazing and so poetic,” I said. “We just call it brunch.”
I met dear friends for brunch yesterday. The items ordered were a tad different than last week. A flight of mimosa’s replaced a pot of tea. Do beignets counts as little piggies filled with custard?
Shrimp and grits? I don’t know how that would translate to a Dim Sum menu.
But the meaning was the same.
Bit of Heart.
I left both Dim Sum and Brunch full in my belly and full in my heart.
Maybe gathering around a meal with Loves is always a bit of heart.
Happy Dim Sum to you all.
Samsmom 