Dim sum nutrition is often overlooked when friends say “let’s go for yum cha,” but many popular dishes hide high levels of fat and sodium, a registered dietitian said.
Yum cha is the Cantonese tradition of sharing dim sum, a variety of small steamed, baked, and fried snacks served with tea. For many people it is a ritual for family and friends, but the comforting presentation can mask foods that are calorie dense or high in saturated fat and salt.
Dim sum nutrition: steamed does not always mean healthy
Many people assume steamed dim sum is a healthier choice, but that is not always true, Krista Chan (陳筠霖), a registered dietitian with the Hong Kong Dietitians Association, warned.
To keep textures moist and tender, chefs often mix in fatty pork or lard when making items such as siu mai, beef and mushroom meatballs, and some har gow variations. A basket of four siu mai can contain about 240 calories and 14 grams of fat, Chan said; that is roughly 0.5 ounce of fat.
Other items that look light can be misleading. Rice paper or bean curd skin used for some steamed rolls is often deep fried before assembly, which soaks up oil. A single piece of ma lai go, the Cantonese steamed sponge cake, can contain roughly 10 grams of fat, about 2 teaspoons of oil, plus added sugar.
Watch the rice-pot traps
Many diners order a rice pot or steamed rice dish, such as steamed pork ribs with rice, chicken with mushrooms over rice, or steamed egg and beef rice, to feel full. Those dishes can be a hidden calorie source because fatty cuts like pork ribs, skin-on chicken, and marbled beef release oil during long steaming, which soaks into every grain of rice.
A single serving of steamed pork-rib rice can have as much as 18 grams of fat, Chan said, which is about 0.6 ounce or roughly four teaspoons of oil. She recommends sharing a rice pot with friends and scraping away the oil-coated grains when possible.
Tea helps digestion, but it does not cancel calories
After a rich plate of dim sum, many people pour a pot of pu-erh or tieguanyin to “cleanse the stomach.” Tea can speed gastric emptying and make you feel less heavy, because caffeine and tannins stimulate stomach acid and intestinal movement, Chan said.
However, tea does not prevent the intestine from absorbing fat nor does it break down calories already consumed. The body still absorbs the energy from the food; tea only helps with temporary relief from fullness.
How to enjoy dim sum more healthfully
You do not need to give up yum cha to eat well, Chan said; the key is smart choices and portion control. Favor lower fat items such as steamed fish balls, shrimp rice rolls, plain chicken buns, char siu bao made with leaner pork, and congee with mixed ingredients instead of heavy rice pots.
If you want a rice dish, choose steamed white-cut chicken with requests to skip the ginger and scallion sauce and remove the chicken skin, or ask for lean char siu served without extra glaze. Remember the rule of “less is more taste” and limit yum cha outings to about one to two times per week, Chan advised.
Contact and credentials: Krista Chan (陳筠霖) is a registered dietitian with the Hong Kong Dietitians Association and a nutritionist at the Home Nutrition Center. She holds a bachelors degree in food and nutritional sciences from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Learn more at her clinics Facebook page, Home Nutrition Center.
