What is "yum cha"

n. A traditional (usually daytime, sometimes nighttime) Chinese meal, consisting of several small courses (dim sum) and Chinese tea.

Yum cha , also known as going for dim sum, is a type of Chinese style brunch tea, which involves drinking Chinese tea and eating dim sum. It is popular in Cantonese-speaking regions in China, including the southern provinces of Guangdong and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and has spread to other regions worldwide due to the presence of overseas Chinese.

As Cantonese people tend to avoid fried foods early in the day, steamed dishes dominate most dim sum menus. There are also snack-sized portions of pan-fried, deep-fried, and steamed food served in bamboo steamers, which are designed to be eaten communally and washed down with tea. In general, people go to Yum cha with families, co-workers, and groups of people, so it is also a common choice for people to get together and catch up.