Yum Cha--enjoying dim sums in a Chinese restaurant--has always been a beloved pastime of both the old and young, be it a daily snack break or occasional savoury feast. Most people can name and distinguish the flavour of one dim sum from the other, but few know of their origins. Just to name a few, Wonton has been an extremely popular snack since as early as 5 B.C., Shaomai was originally served in soup, while Spring Roll was an auspicious sign of good harvest for the following year in the Sung Dynasty.... These interesting tales behind these age-old culinary gems will sure bring your enjoyment to a new level.

A Northern Chinese traditional snack dating back to the 13th century Yuan Dynasty, Shaomai took its name from the thin wheat flour skin with which the dim sum was made. Today, Northern Chinese-style Shaomai remains an everyday dim sum made with thick wrappings and basic ingredients, while the Cantonese Shaomai are made to resemble a tiny pillar with more delicate fillings.

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Cheong Fun, originally known as Zhu Chang Fen, which means "pig intestines rice sheets", was first sold by hawkers in the streets of Guangzhou 60 years ago. Its recipe was improved during the Sino-Japanese wars in the 1940s: by pouring a thinned "rice paste" onto a white cloth, a fine sheet of Cheong Fun is formed through steaming, which is subsequently cut into strips. Later, a Guangzhou restaurant invented a new way of serving the delicacy by rolling plain Cheong Fun around fillings like shrimps, pork and beef. This recipe has since then been popularised by thousands of Chinese restaurants worldwide.

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Called Hundun in Northern China, Wonton is the Cantonese name of this exquisite dim sum which has been well-loved since before 5 B.C. Known as Jiaozi ("Wedge") in the Sung Dynasty and later as Bianshi ("Flat Snack") in the Ming Dynasty, Wonton was originally shaped as a half-moon. The different types of Wonton are cooked and served in different places in China in a plethora of variations, such as boiling, steaming, frying and deep-frying.

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Also known as Yuanbao, a type of ancient Chinese currency, because of its resemblance in shape. Water Dumpling is found in the historical records of the Sui Dynasty and has always been a symbol of luck and prosperity. During that period, there's no difference between Water Dumpling and Wonton, the two were only different names for the same snack until the Tang dynasty. Today, Water Dumpling has a thicker skin, and is a favourite in Northern China (especially at New Year); while Wonton has become a Southern Chinese staple.

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Also known as Xiao Long, Xiao Long Bao took its name from the bamboo steaming basket in which it is steamed. This delicate and attractive-looking Southern China tidbit has three types of fillings: broth, shrimp and pork.

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Like the Southern staple of rice, this Northern Chinese food is usually served with other dishes in a meal. Steamed Bun can be roasted or deep-fried, but are most popularly served steamed. A favourite in feasts, the deep-fried or roasted Steamed Bun is usually served with soup, and has a firmer texture than the steamed one.

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A Southern Chinese snack, the Chinese Bun is originally made to a traditional baking method. With the introduction of Western technologies, the process has been much simplified in the past 400 years. Nowadays, people in Guangdong save much time and effort with baking powder when they make this wonderful dim sum.

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Known in Chinese as Zhenzhu Ji, or "Pearl (Mini) Chicken", Glutinous Rice Dumpling is a popular Southern Chinese snack made chiefly from glutinous rice grains. The stickiness of glutinous rice grains has made them a well-liked ingredient in cakes, pastries, dim sum wrappings and steamed or stir-fried glutinous rice dishes. Glutinous Rice Dumpling evolved from Nuomi Ji, (A larger size of Glutinous Rice Dumpling), a Cantonese favourite made from glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaves with chicken and other fillings. Glutinous Rice Dumpling is of less filling and welcome by people who like to sample more dim sums in one sitting.

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The origin of Spring Roll is related to caterpillar breeders in China. In the Sung Dynasty, wheat flour sheets were filled with different ingredients and rolled into the shape of a caterpillar as an auspicious sign of good harvest for the following year.

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3,000 years ago, Congee was served only in the Imperial Court of the Tang Dynasty and was presented as a precious gift to the emperor's lords. Different types of Congee have different benefits, but all are believed to be "longevity potions" bearing medical functions that strengthen the body and calm the heart. The variety of ways to prepare bowl of congee shows the dim sum's ingenuity. In Guangdong, Congee is cooked more thoroughly and is therefore thinner in texture; while the Fujianese Congee is chunkier and more similar to the traditional recipe.

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Noodle has a long history in China and is very popular among the common folks. It first appears in the East Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) and various selections sprung up in the Song Dynasty (860-1279 AD). In China, the recipes for noodle vary among provinces. It can be served in cold, boiled and dipped in sauces, deep-fried, sauteed with sauce, in soup or stir-fried with sauce.

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