As if drinking tea wasn't enough of a pleasure in itself, people in southern China have created a feast to go with this everyday experience. By serving little platefuls of food called dim sum, often translated as “touch the heart,” with tea, the Cantonese have turned what is usually a solitary affair into a communal celebration.

Most dim sum dishes are cooked and served in bamboo steamers. These steamers are made up of different “trays” that are stacked on top of one another. In a real dim sum restaurant, part of the experience is watching the waitstaff balance these bamboo steamers as they weave their way through the tables. The bamboo also imparts a subtle flavour to the dish that can't be replicated by using a metal steamer or colander.

There are many dishes that are part of the dim sum tradition, such as dumplings, spare ribs, mini baozi and, for the more adventurous, chicken feet. The next time you invite your friends over for dinner, why not have a dim sum party instead?

Here's a recipe for shaomai, an open-faced dumpling, to start you off. If you don't have a bamboo steamer, you can use a colander set over a pot of boiling water.

Ingredients:

1 pack of frozen wonton wrappers

400g ground pork

handful of chives or spring onions, finely chopped

1 small can of water chestnuts, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

dash of sesame oil

goji berries

Method:

1. Defrost the wonton wrappers according to package directions.

2. Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl.

3. Boil water in a pot, making sure that the bamboo steamer (or colander) fits on top, and its bottom doesn't touch the water.

4. Take one square of wonton wrapper – cover the rest with a damp cloth to prevent drying out – and put a generous teaspoonful of filling in the centre.

5. Fold the wrapper around the filling, keeping the top open. Garnish with a goji berry in the middle.

6. Prepare the bamboo steamer by brushing a light layer of oil on the trays and putting a circle of parchment or baking paper. This will help prevent the shaomai from sticking to the steamer.

7. Lay the prepared shaomai on to the steamer tray and cover. Steam for about 7-12 minutes until ready. Serve with a dipping sauce of Chinese vinegar and/or soy sauce.