Colorado Springs teahouse owner serves dim sum
Jan. 19—For Tanya Lin, owner of Yellow Mountain Tea House, 2616 W. Colorado Ave., Chinese New Year, a 16-day celebration beginning Sunday, would not be complete without the bite-size dumplings known as dim sum.
Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar and is represented by one of 12 animals; this year, it's the rabbit.
"Every family from northern China makes and eats dumplings on New Year's Eve," said Lin. "There is an old saying (that) if you didn't eat the dumplings on New Year's Eve, you will not have a good new year."
She added, in southern China, where Lin is from, dim sum is eaten daily — in the morning, for brunch and for afternoon teatime.
Dim sum is also the term that describes a traditional Chinese meal made up of small plates of dumplings, accompanied by tea. The dumplings often are served from bamboo steamer baskets. Dim sum is eaten much as Spaniards eat tapas: The dishes are shared by the table.
"Dim sum originated in teahouses," Lin said.
Lin focuses on tea at her teahouse, but offers a menu of organic dim sum as well. The best way to enjoy dim sum?
"Bring several friends to eat with you," she said. "Then you can each order a different type of dim sum and share."
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Cynthia Chung Aki, founder of the Golden Lotus Foundation in Colorado Springs, who grew up in Hawaii, is a huge fan of dim sum.
"The history of dim sum dates back to the workers in the rice fields who were not able to stop for lunch," she said. "So you will find the old photos of coolie men carrying baskets, holding small food portions on two ends of a pole, into the fields."
For her dim-sum fix, Chung Aki heads to the Star Kitchen in Denver. That's where she took a group of foundation members, and me, a few years ago for a Sunday morning feast. Pushcarts were rolled out of the kitchen filled with dumpling steamers and plates of fried food. We'd wave the waiter over for a closer look at something we'd spotted and then order what we liked for the table. Waiters unloaded our food from their cart, keeping a record of our order on a menu card that remained at the table.
Foods play an important role in Chinese New Year celebrations. They symbolize luck, good fortune, prosperity and longevity for the coming year. For instance, dim sum spring rolls have the shape and golden-yellow color of gold bars, symbolizing good fortune. Glutinous rice dumplings are considered a lucky food. Sweet rice balls are associated with reunion and family togetherness. Longevity noodles served uncut symbolize a wish for a long life.
David Cook, co-owner and instructor at Gather Food Studio and Spice Shop, offered some recipes to make your own dim sum. But if they seem too complicated, he suggests heading to the Asian Pacific Market on Wooten Road, which carries an assortment of dim sum on weekends.
Contact the writer: 636-0271.
