Dim sim

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A dim sim is a Chinese-inspired meat and vegetable dumpling-style snack food, popular in Australia. They are typically cylindrical, or sometimes a larger, globular shape. They can be steamed or deep-fried, and are commonly dressed or dipped in soy sauce, tomato sauce or sweet chilli sauce. An alternative way of cooking dim sims is to barbecue them, by cutting the dim sim in half lengthwise and placing on a hot barbecue. A barbecued dim sim is known as a "Moe crayfish", "cray" or "oyster" after the Victorian township of Moe. Vegetarian dim sims normally contain cabbage, carrot, vermicelli, Chinese shiitake mushrooms or other vegetable fillings, along with seasoning, although these are not generally available in commercial outlets.

Dim sims differ from typical Chinese dumplings in that they are often much larger, have a thicker, doughier skin and are shaped more robustly.

They are primarily sold in fish-and-chip shops, service stations, corner shops, and some Chinese restaurants and takeaway outlets in Australia. Supermarkets, some Chinese yum cha wholesale outlets and Asian frozen food companies also commonly sell this snack frozen for home cooking. They can also be found at Chinese food outlets in New Zealand.

Fast food dim sum and soy sauce.jpg|A fried dim sim (South Melbourne style) with soy sauce

Steamed dim sims.jpg|Steamed dim sim

Steamed Dim Sim.jpg|Steamed dim sim

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The term dim sim dates as far back as 1928, although the modern recipe of the dish most likely was developed in Melbourne's Chinatown in 1945 by entrepreneur William Chen Wing Young for his food processing company Wing Lee.

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