This humble little grain boasts over 40,000 varieties and is used in recipes from breakfast to dessert. Used in cultures around the world, it’s hard to think of a more universal ingredient — including, of course, in Chinese and Cantonese cuisine. 

Cooking up some rice is a simply culinary skill everyone should possess. Who doesn’t know how to cook a pot of rice, right? Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Even without a rice cooker!

Like so many other Chinese cuisine traditions, dim sum has been around for at least 2,500 years. The origins of dim sum are debated, but eating dim sum is integrally linked with the Cantonese culinary practice of ‘yum cha’ or ‘drink tea’. Some sources suggest dim sum originated south of China in the Canton province, where it became tradition to drink tea together, socialize, and snack on dim sum.

They might look similar, but the flavours can vary significantly between light and dark varieties, naturally versus chemically brewed options, and Japanese, Chinese, or other geographic versions. The vast variety of choices make it tricky for novice shoppers to distinguish between them.