Comments on: Dim Sum 101 and Etiquettes http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/ Suanne and Ben's Food and Travel Adventures from Vancouver, BC Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:04:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Opus http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-3901 Opus Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:04:25 +0000 http://chowtimes.26miler.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-3901 The tapping of the fingers is a uniquely Cantonese tradition, I think. Being a northern Chinese I don't think I have seen anyone doing this gesture until I moved to Vancouver, The tapping of the fingers is a uniquely Cantonese tradition, I think. Being a northern Chinese I don’t think I have seen anyone doing this gesture until I moved to Vancouver,

]]> By: Chrystal from Holland http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-724 Chrystal from Holland Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:27:16 +0000 http://chowtimes.26miler.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-724 Wow Michelle.. i never knew that! @Suanne I think mostly the people in Hong Kong use the bowl for the dimsum and the plate to discard the rubbish. Though my friend from Singapore uses the plate for dimsum.. I'd stick with the bowl :).. Ooh in Singapore they don't even give you a bowl at dimsum restaurants.. (if i remember correctly) Wow Michelle.. i never knew that!

@Suanne
I think mostly the people in Hong Kong use the bowl for the dimsum and the plate to discard the rubbish. Though my friend from Singapore uses the plate for dimsum.. I’d stick with the bowl :).. Ooh in Singapore they don’t even give you a bowl at dimsum restaurants.. (if i remember correctly)

]]> By: Michelle Hui http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-723 Michelle Hui Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:08:13 +0000 http://chowtimes.26miler.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-723 One more last one which I thought u might want to incorporate to the previous post :) Taken from : <a href="http://www.santaferelo.com/ecs/data/sfguide/CHE/SocialCustoms.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.santaferelo.com/ecs/data/sfguide/CHE/SocialCustoms.htm</a> Another interesting local custom is associated with drinking tea: the "three-finger tap" on the table. This is a sign of appreciation, like saying thank you. The story goes that this gesture was invented by a Qing Dynasty emperor. While touring Canton, the emperor visited a teahouse as an ordinary member of a party of travelers. The emperor took his turn to pouring tea for his companions. Recognizing the emperor, they started bowing in acknowledgement of this astonishing honor. The emperor would have none of it, so he told them to simply tap the table with three fingers - two of which represented their prostrated limbs and the third finger symbolizing their bowed heads. The custom survives in Chengdu as a silent token of thanks. One more last one which I thought u might want to incorporate to the previous post :)
Taken from :
http://www.santaferelo.com/ecs/data/sfguide/CHE/SocialCustoms.htm

Another interesting local custom is associated with drinking tea: the “three-finger tap” on the table. This is a sign of appreciation, like saying thank you. The story goes that this gesture was invented by a Qing Dynasty emperor. While touring Canton, the emperor visited a teahouse as an ordinary member of a party of travelers. The emperor took his turn to pouring tea for his companions. Recognizing the emperor, they started bowing in acknowledgement of this astonishing honor. The emperor would have none of it, so he told them to simply tap the table with three fingers - two of which represented their prostrated limbs and the third finger symbolizing their bowed heads. The custom survives in Chengdu as a silent token of thanks.

]]> By: Michelle Hui http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-722 Michelle Hui Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:04:49 +0000 http://chowtimes.26miler.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-722 Expressing thanks for a cup of tea after it has been poured for you is a custom that dates back to the Qing dynasty ard 300-400yrs ago. The Emperor, Qing Long often travelled incognito with his servants and one day sat down with his servants in a restaurant. It is a Chinese custom that if a pot of tea is placed in front of you, it is you that pours the tea for everyone else and then for yourself. The tea pot was placed in front of the emperor and so he had to serve his servants tea. The servants struggled the desire not to let the emperor do this, but because the emperor was in disguise, the servants could not reveal his identity. Neither could they show the honour they felt by this gesture by bowing to the emperor and had to let him serve them all tea. So instead of bowing, a finger gesture was given by tapping two fingers on the table in order to express thanks and respect towards the emperor. This gesture has become a customary action in Chinese culture when someone is thanking another person for being served tea. There are now many variations which can be used, for example, two fingers tapping twice, one finger tapping twice or either one or two digits tapping once. Taken from : <a href="http://www.cmha.org.uk/oralhistory/english/culture/tea.asp" rel="nofollow">http://www.cmha.org.uk/oralhistory/english/culture/tea.asp</a> Expressing thanks for a cup of tea after it has been poured for you is a custom that dates back to the Qing dynasty ard 300-400yrs ago.
The Emperor, Qing Long often travelled incognito with his servants and one day sat down with his servants in a restaurant.
It is a Chinese custom that if a pot of tea is placed in front of you, it is you that pours the tea for everyone else and then for yourself. The tea pot was placed in front of the emperor and so he had to serve his servants tea. The servants struggled the desire not to let the emperor do this, but because the emperor was in disguise, the servants could not reveal his identity. Neither could they show the honour they felt by this gesture by bowing to the emperor and had to let him serve them all tea. So instead of bowing, a finger gesture was given by tapping two fingers on the table in order to express thanks and respect towards the emperor. This gesture has become a customary action in Chinese culture when someone is thanking another person for being served tea. There are now many variations which can be used, for example, two fingers tapping twice, one finger tapping twice or either one or two digits tapping once.

Taken from : http://www.cmha.org.uk/oralhistory/english/culture/tea.asp

]]> By: Emily http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-721 Emily Sun, 20 Jan 2008 05:25:53 +0000 http://chowtimes.26miler.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-721 Thank you for sharing all this dim sum knowledge. I'm definitely going to try the tea pot technique to check for good service the next time I go to a Chinese restaurant. Thank you for sharing all this dim sum knowledge. I’m definitely going to try the tea pot technique to check for good service the next time I go to a Chinese restaurant.

]]> By: M. http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-720 M. Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:38:40 +0000 http://chowtimes.26miler.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-720 I don't even profess to know the true traditions. But it's nice to pour tea for others beside you. I won't attempt to do the whole table!! I thought the small bowl was for congee & the plate is for the rest of the dim sum. If u have bones, then don't u just leave it on the table? (ha.. i always leave my bones on the plate) I don’t even profess to know the true traditions. But it’s nice to pour tea for others beside you. I won’t attempt to do the whole table!!

I thought the small bowl was for congee & the plate is for the rest of the dim sum. If u have bones, then don’t u just leave it on the table?

(ha.. i always leave my bones on the plate)

]]> By: Anonymous http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-719 Anonymous Sat, 19 Jan 2008 19:43:55 +0000 http://chowtimes.26miler.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-719 Hi Ben & Suanne, Regarding whether to use the bowl or plate for discard, here's what I learnt: I was brought up in a traditional Chinese family. When meals were served (breakfast, lunch & dinner),we each would have a set of soup bowl/ soup spoon, rice bowl, a small plate for discard, a bigger plate(like the one in your pic) to hold the food we got from the serving dishes.It was considered rude to pile up the rice bowl w/ lots of food. However, since most restaurants only have table settings of a tea cup, a bowl, a small plate, a soup spoon and a pair of chopsticks, the small dish would be to discard food. Mind you, this was the tradition of my family:P Hi Ben & Suanne,

Regarding whether to use the bowl or plate for discard, here’s what I learnt:

I was brought up in a traditional Chinese family. When meals were served (breakfast, lunch & dinner),we each would have a set of soup bowl/ soup spoon, rice bowl, a small plate for discard, a bigger plate(like the one in your pic) to hold the food we got from the serving dishes.It was considered rude to pile up the rice bowl w/ lots of food.

However, since most restaurants only have table settings of a tea cup, a bowl, a small plate, a soup spoon and a pair of chopsticks, the small dish would be to discard food.

Mind you, this was the tradition of my family:P

]]> By: RobynT http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-718 RobynT Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:37:49 +0000 http://chowtimes.26miler.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-718 i think most folks i know use the bowl for rubbish. i am third-generation chinese and my family is cantonese, but my dad is japanese so who knows if this is "authentic" or whatever. i don't think it's a big deal to do it wrong. i actually never thought about this before, but just now thought about what i'd seen others do. i think some restaurants don't even have bowls, but i'm not sure. i think maybe the tea cups are small so the tea stays hot? again, not sure, but this is the purpose the cups serve for me anyway. again, i have heard that about pouring tea for others, but i think most folks i know (eg. other third generation chinese americans) wouldn't really think it was rude... we are just told it is custom. i think most folks i know use the bowl for rubbish. i am third-generation chinese and my family is cantonese, but my dad is japanese so who knows if this is “authentic” or whatever. i don’t think it’s a big deal to do it wrong. i actually never thought about this before, but just now thought about what i’d seen others do. i think some restaurants don’t even have bowls, but i’m not sure.

i think maybe the tea cups are small so the tea stays hot? again, not sure, but this is the purpose the cups serve for me anyway.

again, i have heard that about pouring tea for others, but i think most folks i know (eg. other third generation chinese americans) wouldn’t really think it was rude… we are just told it is custom.

]]> By: Jessica http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-717 Jessica Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:48:10 +0000 http://chowtimes.26miler.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-717 There was a show on the Food Network a couple weeks ago (at 3AM!) on dim sum ettiquette There was a show on the Food Network a couple weeks ago (at 3AM!) on dim sum ettiquette

]]> By: Ray http://chowtimes.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-716 Ray Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:19:05 +0000 http://chowtimes.26miler.com/2008/01/19/dim-sum-101-and-etiquettes/#comment-716 I eagerly await Dim Sum 201. I eagerly await Dim Sum 201.

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