Many religious scholars over the centuries have pondered upon the meaning of the word Dim Sum. There are many possible interpretations, and if you ask around you may find several.

Dim Sum comprises two characters, the Holy Tuplet as it is known in our faith.

The first character, Dim, does not refer to my friend's level of intelligence, nor does it refer to my room when the lights are turned down low. It actually means an apostrophe, in Chinese calligraphy, a small dot or part of a character. Perhaps it refers to the size of the tip my chintzy friend leaves when we partake of the heavenly Dim Sum, or perhaps it refers to the speck of dirt on the inside of the teacup I always seem to get.

The second character, Sum, means heart. You will find it in many expressions, like "Cheng siu sum che mun!" - please mind the (train) doors. You really don't want to stick your head out the doorway when the doors close, it could lead to a nasty decapitation, or at least a headache.

Another expression is "Nei m siu sum chin." - you don't look after your money. In Hong Kong this is equivalent to being a fool, as in a fool and his money are soon parted. This reminds me of the time my friend asked me to teach him how to ask for the bill, and I taught him how to order more dumplings instead. We had lots of fun and ate many dumplings that day.

So, we have Dim, a small dot or apostrophe, and Sum, meaning heart. My favorite colloquial translation is "Small things that please the heart". If you have your own translation, please share it in the comment below.

You may ask "Where do Dim Sum come from?" The answer is simple - from the kitchen of course. That is where they are created, by hard working Dim Sum chefs, who follow special rituals and  recipies handed down from generation to generation.

If you ask "Where do all the Dim Sum go to?" We sincerely hope some of them will make it to our table, where we hold regular services in the Church of Dim Sum.