Steam

Author: Huang Wen (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Gathering friends, family reunions, and a house full of guests are the scenes of Guangdong tea houses; using tea as a platform and dim sum as the performance, blending flavors from all over the world and across time, are the characteristics of Guangdong tea snacks; listening to Nanyin melodies lingering in the air, savoring fragrant Cantonese dim sum, and enjoying a leisurely meal after hard work are the trends of Lingnan culture. Today, all of this can be enjoyed at home without leaving the house. Morning tea in a pot, night snacks in a bowl. Dim sum to accompany tea, friends to share with porridge. The Guangdong tea market operates three sessions a day—morning, noon, and evening—where Cantonese tea snacks blend flavors from all directions. Immersed in an exquisite tea house, savoring the lingering charm of Cantonese dim sum amidst the rich Nanyin melodies—what a delightful experience! As the poem goes: "One pot, two pieces to the tea house, Nanyin and Cantonese dim sum, truly magical. Life finds ease in drinking, slowly savoring,."
Book Description: In Cantonese tea snacks, steamed items are very common. Common examples include "honey-glazed" (barbecue buns), "soy sauce spareribs", "fresh shrimp siu mai", "wavy-hair shrimp dumplings", and more. The methods for making steamed tea snacks generally fall into four categories:
1. "Live Steaming": Clean the raw materials, arrange them in plates or bowls, add seasonings, and steam until just cooked. This type of steamed snack has a refreshing taste, light yet not greasy.
2. "Dry Steaming": Steam large pieces of raw material until cooked, then cut them and serve with seasonings.
3. "Steaming with Sauce": Usually, add water or broth, stir well, and steam over low heat.
4. "Layered Steaming": Typically, multiple ingredients are used. Steam the harder-to-cook ingredients first, then add others in layers for joint steaming.
In summary, steamed tea snacks are often considered one of the "signature dishes" of Cantonese tea snacks.