From Siu Mai to Chicken Feet: Exploring Traditional Dim Sum

Dim sum is often described as a meal of many small bites, but it’s more accurately a mosaic of tradition—an edible archive of Cantonese history, technique, and communal ritual. From tender dumplings to braised delicacies, traditional dim sum offers a range of flavors and textures that both comfort and challenge. While crowd-pleasers like siu mai are immediately recognizable, dishes like chicken feet dim sum test the courage of the uninitiated. To truly appreciate this culinary form, one must explore the full spectrum, from the familiar to the fearless.

Siu Mai: The Dim Sum Standard-Bearer

Among all the offerings wheeled out on a dim sum cart, siu mai may be the most iconic. These open-faced dumplings—typically made of ground pork, shrimp, and sometimes mushroom—are wrapped in thin yellow skins and topped with a dot of crab roe or carrot for contrast. They’re juicy, savory, and deeply satisfying, the kind of dish that even a first-time diner instinctively reaches for.

The beauty of siu mai lies in its balance. Pork brings richness, shrimp lends sweetness, and the wrappers absorb the steam without disintegrating. When made well, each bite is springy and succulent, packed with umami. Though versions exist throughout Chinese cuisine, the Cantonese siu mai served in traditional dim sum is considered the standard—revered for its simplicity and perfection.

Har Gow and the Language of Texture

Often paired with siu mai, har gow are shrimp dumplings with translucent wrappers made from wheat and tapioca starch. These dumplings are a litmus test of dim sum craftsmanship—each one hand-pleated with at least seven folds, filled with whole shrimp, and steamed just long enough to preserve texture. A har gow should glisten, its wrapper yielding with a slight chew before releasing the snap of fresh shrimp.

In traditional dim sum, texture is as important as taste. Har gow embodies this, offering a contrast to the meatier, denser siu mai. Together, the two are referred to as “the twin stars” of dim sum—an essential pairing that anchors every table.

Lo Mai Gai: Sticky Rice and Nostalgia

Wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed to fragrant perfection, lo mai gai is glutinous rice stuffed with a mixture of chicken, Chinese sausage, mushrooms, and sometimes salted egg. It’s a parcel of umami and comfort, unwrapped like a gift at the table. The rice absorbs the earthy perfume of the lotus leaf, infusing each bite with a depth that’s both rustic and refined.

While not as flashy as dumplings or as challenging as offal, lo mai gai holds a special place in the canon of traditional dim sum. It’s filling and warm, often reserved for mid-meal, and universally loved by both elders and children alike.

Cheong Fun: Silk Meets Sauce

Cheong fun, or rice noodle rolls, offer another textural dimension. These wide, slippery sheets of rice flour batter are steamed until soft and then wrapped around fillings like shrimp, beef, or fried dough. They’re served cut into sections and drizzled with sweet soy sauce. The result is ethereal—delicate, slippery, and lightly sweet.

In traditional dim sum, cheong fun provides a moment of quiet luxury. There’s no crunch, no intense seasoning—just softness, warmth, and balance. It contrasts beautifully with the bolder flavors of fried items or braised dishes, cleansing the palate and resetting the meal’s pace.

Chicken Feet: The Great Divider

No dish sparks more curiosity—or apprehension—than chicken feet dim sum. Known in Cantonese as \fung zao\, these are braised in a savory sauce of black bean, garlic, soy, and star anise. The feet are deep-fried first, then steamed until the skin and tendons become gelatinous and tender.

For many Western diners, chicken feet are a culinary boundary. But among dim sum regulars, they’re a prized delicacy—appreciated for their flavor and texture, and eaten not for the meat (there’s little) but for the experience. The act of gently biting, sucking, and savoring the sauce-coated skin is as much about patience as it is about taste. It’s a dish that demands attention, and rewards those who approach it with curiosity rather than fear.

Traditional Dim Sum as Cultural Continuum

Each dish on the traditional dim sum menu tells a story: of regional migration, of culinary ingenuity, of family rituals carried through generations. Whether you’re tucking into siu mai or testing your mettle with chicken feet, you’re engaging with a tradition that values community and continuity over novelty. Dim sum is not just a Sunday ritual—it’s a language passed down at the table, one small plate at a time.

So the next time you gather for yum cha, resist the urge to play it safe. Explore the full landscape. Ask what’s on the cart. Order something new. From the dependable siu mai to the divisive but delicious chicken feet dim sum, every dish holds a place in the story. All you have to do is listen—bite by bite.