#Frozen dim sum Pc#

The size of the har gows and shu mai are restaurant standard (obviously,) so this controlled test was basically to see how they would hold up and taste after being frozen. This usually lasts a while and comes in handy for dim sum related emergencies. Separated on a lightly oiled baking sheet, I leave them to freeze and keep them in a zipper bag. There aren’t any restaurants who sell their own line of frozen dim sum dumplings, so what I normally do is when I’m smashing food into my face at my favourite spot, before I leave I will get a couple of orders to go to freeze at home.

#Frozen dim sum Pc#

The PC brad came with it’s own sesame soy dipping sauce but I prefer my dim sum the traditional way… hot sauce and hot mustard.įinally, restaurant frozen dim sum. In either case, both were tasty with an inherent sweetness (even the chicken one that I’m not reviewing,) and not fishy. The har gow on the other hand saw the saw shiitake mushrooms as part of its filling perhaps they got their filling bins mixed up or they’re on the verge of some cross cultural dim sum recipe revolution. The shu mai (above right) included carrots, green onions, where as a traditional recipe calls for pork, shrimp and shitake mushrooms. It had more ingredients to it than the har gow and shu mai I was used to. Although toothsome, what made up for it’s lack of texture was the taste. The savoury insides of the dumplings were more of a whipped filling – similar preparation to a Chinese steamed meatball. I guess it can go without saying that the the President’s Choice brand held their shape the best and probably looked the prettiest – most uniformed and consistent. Off the bat, they were significantly smaller than the Chinese frozen brands.

The dumplings are packaged in a tray with separated compartments so their cooties don’t mix. The box had both microwave an steaming heating instructions. This package comes with shrimp shu mai, shrimp har gow and chicken dumplings, fully cooked and ready to heat. The har gow were a bit fishy and ultimately tasted frozen. The shu mai was the same, however smaller specks of shrimp were peppered in the paste-like filler. The shu mai on the other hand were packaged in a tray with individual pockets which ultimately helped them hold their shape and structural integrity.ĭespite the rippy skins, the har gow has distinguishable pieces of shrimp in it packed in what I would guess is a shrimp/fish paste as binder and filler. I noticed this even when they were still frozen and I attribute this to the way in which they were packaged – loose in a bag. I explained to her what I was doing and after a futile attempt of trying to wrap her head around the idea of eating frozen dim sum, she told me steam them 8-10 mins.Īt first glance the dumplings looked alright except the har gow – the white shrimp dumpling – the wrappers split. She asked me why the hell I was eating frozen dim sum. Neither package came with reheating or cooking instructions, so I went by instinct… I called my mother. I didn’t chose one brand in particular more than I picked what was available in the frozen section of my local Asian market. I started with the frozen Chinese brand har gow and shu mai. The comparison test was super scientific and elaborate I tested the two most popular dim sum dumplings – the har gow (shrimp dumpling) and shu mai (pork and dumpling) – of three major frozen categories: non-Chinese brand frozen dim sum (President’s Choice), Chinese frozen brand, and fresh dim sum from a restaurant that I froze myself. I realize this I took it upon myself to take on the responsibility to test different kinds of FROZEN dim sum. It’s a work in progress, as I’m always adding to it – there are hundreds of different items! We are not always fortunate enough to head down to Chinatown or get to a restaurant that serves dim sum and will ultimately have to rely on the frozen counterparts. If you’re new to the dim sum scene and aren’t sure of what to order, I have a section of the blog dedicated to the meal – Dim Sum for Dummies, where I profile some of the less common dishes. Getting to the restaurant at prime time when the lady on a loud speaker is calling out table numbers in more than the Quebec standard languages as people clammer to the front to try and sneak their way in is just part of the weekend brunch routine. Not just the small little dumplings stacked high in billowing steamers and other savoury delights, but it’s the dim sum experience as a whole.

As you may or may not know, I’m a big fan of dim sum.