Dim Sum Voyage

The Southeast Asian region is made up of multiple countries, each with its own unique dim sum culture and taste. As a result, dim sum in Southeast Asia is known for its variety, covering a wide range of taste and flavor options.

Southeast Asian dim sum is often rich in spices and seasonings to add umami and special flavors. Common spices such as chili, curry, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic are often used in Southeast Asian dim sum.

The Southeast Asian region is known for its abundance of fruits, vegetables, seafood, and spices. Therefore, Southeast Asian dim sum usually uses fresh ingredients to ensure the quality of taste and flavor.

There are numerous delectable dim sums found in Southeast Asia. Here, we present some common Southeast Asian dim sums:

1. Spring Rolls: Spring rolls are dim sums filled with ingredients such as vegetables, meat, or seafood, wrapped in pancakes, and then deep-fried until they turn golden and crispy.

Similar variations of spring rolls can be found across Southeast Asian countries. For instance, Vietnam has raw spring rolls and fried spring rolls, while the Philippines offers pancake spring rolls.

2. Zongzi: Zongzi is a traditional snack made of glutinous rice with various fillings, wrapped in Zongzi leaves.

In Southeast Asia, especially in countries like southern China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, unique traditions and flavors can be found when making zongzi.

3. Bubble Milk Tea: While not a traditional dim sum, bubble tea has become immensely popular as a snack in Southeast Asia. This beverage blends tea and milk together, featuring brown sugar pearls.

4. Coconut Milk Cake: Coconut milk cake is a pastry that utilizes coconut milk as its main ingredient. With its soft and sweet taste, it is often enjoyed as a dessert or breakfast in countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

5. Fried Mantou: Fried mantou is a dim sum where the fermented dough is shaped into small balls and fried until they achieve a golden brown color.

This particular dim sum is highly favored in Malaysia and Singapore and is commonly served with chili sauce or salted egg yolk sauce.

6. Teochew Kway Teow: Teochew Kway Teow is a classic dim sum made from rice noodles. It is typically stir-fried with bean sprouts, shrimp, lean meat, and soy sauce, resulting in a delightful combination of flavors.

7. Nanyang Curry Puff: A curry puff is a pastry filled with curry vegetables and fried until it becomes golden and crispy. It enjoys great popularity in both Singapore and Malaysia.

8. Shrimp Pad Thai: Shrimp Pad Thai is a fried noodle dish featuring shrimp, vegetables, and spices. It possesses a distinct Thai flavor and is usually served with sweet chili or peanut sauce.

9. Filipino Mango Sticky Rice: Filipino Mango Sticky Rice is a dessert that combines sticky rice, fresh mango, and coconut milk. It offers a soft, sticky, and sweet taste, making it one of the traditional Filipino desserts.

10. Indonesian Fried Dumplings (Martabak): Indonesian fried dumplings are large dumplings filled with meat, vegetables, cheese, or chocolate.

They are fried until crispy and are typically enjoyed with a dipping sauce.

11. Laphet Thoke: Laphet Thoke is a traditional snack in Myanmar that brings together pickled tea leaves, bean sprouts, nuts, and fish paste.

It delivers a distinctive Burmese flavor and is a noteworthy local snack.

12. Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls: Rice paper rolls are snacks composed of lettuce, herbs, crepes, and various fillings, all rolled together.

They are commonly served with traditional Vietnamese fish sauce or peanut sauce.

These dim sums exemplify the unique flavors and traditional preparation methods prevalent across Southeast Asian countries.

Whether you are exploring Southeast Asia or attempting to recreate them at home, these dim sums provide a delightful introduction to the local food culture.

It's important to note that this is just a small selection of the dim sums available in Southeast Asia, and each country and region boasts its own distinct dim sum culture and flavors.

Whether you have a preference for sweet or savory options, the dim sums of Southeast Asia are sure to satiate your taste buds.