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“Do you want to have yum cha?”
I grew up in Malaysia, which has a large Chinese diaspora, so I was initially confused when Australians asked me this question.
Yum cha? Or do you mean dim sum?
In Cantonese, yum cha means ‘drink tea’ while dim sum means ‘touch the heart’ (and it refers to the little plates of food you actually eat at a Chinese restaurant). It’s like someone saying to you, “Do you want to have drink tea?” It was odd to me, because in Malaysia, we’d always say, “Do you want to have dim sum?”
When we asked someone if they wanted to 'yum cha', we really meant it. We’d order a piping hot teapot of it – usually filled with oolong or pu'er – alongside several dishes if we were ever eating at a Chinese restaurant.
Tea and food is a good combination in any language. Source: Chris Chen
Maybe this is why Australians say, “Do you want to have yum cha?”
I can’t be sure, but as long as we still get each other, that's all that matters.
Here in Australia, where the Chinese diaspora is also large as in Malaysia, my sisters and I have begun to rediscover Chinese food, exploring new flavours that we’ve never had before in Malaysia.
I still remember the first time we tried the Hong Kong-style (rice noodle rolls), which reminded me of har gow (prawn dumplings) when I first tasted them. We’d never seen or heard of this dish before in our entire lives.
Cheung fun: a highlight of yum cha experiences. Source: Flickr / Jnzl
Then there are the different Malaysian and Australian dim sum dishes. I remember looking for or nee (a sweet taro dessert soup) on the menu when I first arrived in Brisbane. Only to find that it wasn't available.
But it was here in Australia that my twin Angeline and I were introduced to the goodness of buttery, flaky barbecue pork pastries by our dajie (big sister). We’ve only ever had siew pau in Malaysia – similar but less buttery and moist pork buns, which Angeline and I never really liked when we were growing up.
These barbecue pork pastries are winners. Source: Natalie & Angeline Liu
In Cantonese, yum cha means ‘drink tea’ while dim sum means ‘touch the heart’.
The flavours of Chinese cuisine vary around the world and that's not a bad thing. In fact, my sisters and I embrace it. Food, in essence, is the taste of cultures brought together on a plate, and that’s why it’s so special. It’s the taste of history, the taste of memories, the taste of home.
Natalie and Angeline Liu are discovering how Chinese food changes from country to country. Source: Natalie and Angeline Liu
If you agree with us, why don’t you join us on this journey of exploring new flavours? We’re sure you won’t regret it.
Because we don’t, and we don’t think you will.
