Читать книгу Grandma Panda's China Storybook - Mingmei Yip - Страница 7

Yum Yum, We Love Dim Sum!

It’s summer at last! Little pandas Baobao and Lingling are excited because summer is when they visit Grandma Panda, who cooks them tasty food and tells them wonderful stories. Any story you can name, Grandma can tell it. Baobao and Lingling love to learn as much as they love to eat. Each summer they learn so much and eat so well at Grandma Panda’s that they can’t wait to visit again!

“Grandma, we’re here!” they shout as they jump off the bus and scurry on chubby feet toward their grandmother. Grandma Panda takes her grandchildren in her arms and kisses them on their fluffy heads.

“Grandma, I’m hungry!” Baobao cries.

“Me too!” Lingling joins in.

“All right, all right. I know you two are always hungry.” Grandma Panda smiles at her two little treasures.

“Grandma, can we have noodle soup with lots of bamboo shoots, and egg fuyong with lots of roast pork, and….” Baobao begs.

“But today I’m not going to cook,” Grandma replies.

“But what are we going to eat?” the children cry.

“Be patient, kids,” Grandma Panda says. “We’re all going to a tea house for dim sum. How’s that?”

Brother and sister burst out laughing. “Wah! We love dim sum!”

It’s Sunday, and the Lucky Tea House is filled with happy customers. After settling down at a round table, Baobao and Lingling stare at the steaming plates on carts that waiters and waitresses are rolling between the tables.

Grandma Panda says, “Now, Baobao and Lingling, pick what you want. Just don’t stuff yourselves till your tummies look like balloons!”

Brother and sister reach out to grab from the passing carts:

Flat rice noodles with roast pork, Shrimp dumplings nestling in a bamboo steamer, Spare ribs dripping with sauce, Crispy spring rolls…

In no time the table is covered with little plates, and all that can be heard are the sounds of clicking chopsticks and the slurping of soup.

“Hmmm…yum yum dim sum!” exclaims Baobao, his mouth full of food.

“And yummy crispy!” A big smile blossoms on Lingling’s face as she munches a crunchy spring roll.

Soon all the food is gone and the empty plates shine like bright mirrors. Baobao and Lingling rub their tummies and sigh with satisfaction.

“Grandma, please tell us a story!” says Lingling.

“A story about dim sum!” adds Baobao.

“All right, then,” Grandma says. “But first, tell me, do you know what dim sum means?”

The children shake their heads.

“It means ‘heart toucher,’” Grandma smiles.

Baobao is puzzled. “But it only fills my stomach.”

“Yes,” Grandma says, “but after your stomach is filled, your heart feels happy. That’s how dim sum touches your heart.”

“Wah! We want our hearts to be touched all the time!” Lingling cries.

Dim sum is made up of lots of different little dishes served together. In earlier times, people would enjoy just a few of these dishes, along with some tea, as a little “touch” or snack.

Grandma laughs. “As long as you’re with me, you’ll always have plenty of dim sum. Now listen—this is the story of how it was invented.”

Once a long, long time ago, General Caocao and his army fought hard and won many battles. To celebrate his soldiers‘ loyalty and fearlessness, Caocao declared there would be a big feast.

The general ordered delicious dishes from every soldier’s hometown to be sent to the battlefield.

The soldiers felt pleased beyond words.

“Wah, this pork dumpling tastes exactly like what my wife fixes back home!” one exclaimed.

Another one laughed as if the sun were shining right over his head. “This beef noodle is definitely my grandma’s cooking!”

General Caocao smiled warmly at his men. “Please soldiers, eat more! If this pleases you, from now on every day I’ll offer you a little of my heart!”

And so these little plates of comforting food became “Dim Sum.” For dim means “a little,” and sum means “heart.”