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Monday, February 8, 2016

The Chinese Person's Guide to Dim Sum Etiquette: Tapping to Say Thanks!


Old people like dim sum too!
Being born in Hong Kong and growing up in a predominantly Cantonese culture in New York City, I have always looked forward to and still enjoy going to Yum Cha (literally "drink tea" in Cantonese). Most foreigners recognize this as "dim sum" and I have heard some even describe it as Chinese brunch (Quick Note: In Chinese, one would never say "Let's go to dim sum". It would always be "Let's go drink tea".  - this does not really translate well in English).


For those who still have no idea what I am talking about, "dim sum" is basically brunch (9am-2:30pm) usually at a noisy Chinese restaurant (not sure if there are really any quiet Chinese restaurants ... if there are, there were probably no Chinese people in it). At more traditional restaurants, the food is served on push carts heated by hot water to keep the food warm. Smaller restaurants may offer dim sum items off of a menu. Typical foods you will find are usually all types of dumplings, rice noodle, tripe, shumai, pheonix claws (the glorified name for chicken feet) and many other Cantonese style foods. The word "dim sum" (点心 - "dian xin" in Mandarin and of course "dim sum" in Cantonese) literally means small snack. 

Dim sum literally means "snack"
There are always people having dim sum. During the weekdays, you'll see the older retired crowd. During the weekends, restaurants will be crowded with families and other groups looking to spend their late-morning eating tasty food, drinking tea and catching up with friends. It is a very Chinese experience that I recommend for everyone to try. It'll definitely help if you have a Chinese friend to help navigate but it is not necessary as most restaurants cater to non-Chinese.      

2 finger for 2 legs
Now, if you ever been to dim sum or if you ever decide to go, one thing that you'll notice is people tapping their fingers on their table. Usually, it is a 2 finger tap (pointer and middle) and you will observe this when another person is pouring tea for the finger tapper. At first glance, this seems like a very rude gesture as it naturally looks like you are trying to hurry the tea pourer but in actuality, it is a sign of appreciation. 

So how did finger tapping become a sign for thank you? Well, according to one of my colleagues when I was working in China, this finger tapping goes way back during the era of Chinese dynasties when China had emperors. The story goes like this:
There once was an Emperor who wanted to experience the common life and to observe the commoners in there natural state so he disguised himself (how cliche, I know) and went into the city. Still being the emperor, he had to be accompanied by his top officials and bodyguards. One day as they stopped at a restaurant, the Emperor wanted to pour tea for his companions but the general rule was that you had to bow to the Emperor when in the presence of the Emperor and especially if the Emperor is doing something for you. In order to stay incognito but still allow his subjects to abide by the rules, the Emperor ordered his companions to "bow" to him every time he poured them tea by tapping 2 fingers on the table with the fingers signifying the bended knees. This custom has carried on since and ahs expanded outside of the dim sum context (it's pretty much anytime when someone is pouring something for someone else). 
So, if you want to impress your Chinese friends, let them see you tap your fingers whenever someone is pouring you something to express "Thanks!". 

If you know of another version of the story that explains the finger tapping, feel free to share in the comments section. 

You can find dim sum in almost all Cantonese restaurants. If you are ever in NYC, some excellent dim sum places I recommend are (email me if you can't find it on google):
  1. Golden Unicorn (Manhattan Chinatown - 18 East Broadway)
  2. East Harbor Seafood Restaurant (Brooklyn Chinatown - 65th Street and 7th Ave)
  3. Ping's Seafood Restaurant (Manhattan Chinatown - Mott Street)
If you know of any good dim sum restaurants in your city or country, please feel free to list it in the comments section. I am always looking for good dim sum restaurants!

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