Dim sum, in Cantonese, translates to “touch the heart.” Observed throughout China and beyond its borders, dim sum is a traditional Chinese meal consisting of a variety of small, bite-sized dishes served with tea.
Most often enjoyed during brunch or lunch, dim sum is typically shared among family and friends and includes an assortment of dumplings, steamed buns, and other savoury or sweet dishes.
This past weekend, the Chinese Community Service Centre of Victoria (CCSC) hosted its own dim sum lunch party on July 26 to thank its volunteers and introduce Greater Victoria residents to this quintessential cultural tradition.
“We opened it up this time to the public because the Chinese community knows we're here,” said CCSC secretary Nora Butz. “But there's so many things in Chinatown that the general public doesn't know about.”
Usually held biannually at the community centre on Herald Street, the event’s popularity has outgrown the space and was instead hosted at Victoria’s Golden City Restaurant, Butz said.
“We started off by having small gatherings and we would do potluck, but the number of participants kept growing,” she said. “So we moved it to a restaurant where it's much easier to handle because we ended up with 190 people.”
Launched in 2019, the CCSC is an entirely volunteer-run organization that serves as a hub for the Chinese community on the South Island, Butz said. It offers a wide range of resources, from simple translations and calligraphy workshops to more formal support, such as opening bank accounts and drafting wills.
“We're trying to build (a place) where the community can come together, learn and have some fun,” she said.
But the CCSC’s reach extends beyond the region’s Chinese community. Acting as a bridge between cultures, the organization also works to connect service providers, municipalities, and other groups with the Chinese diaspora – a population that may sometimes be a bit more challenging to reach, Butz explained.
“More places are coming to CCSC to connect with the larger Chinese community and I think we've been quite successful at that.”
Seeing diversity as a strength, Butz encourages anyone interested in joining the next Dim Sum Lunch Party to check the CCSC website regularly for upcoming dates.
In the meantime, Butz invites folks to strike up a conversation with the CCSC at upcoming events like the Dragon Boat Festival on Aug. 9 or Chinese New Year, where she and her organization will be present.
