However, the fast-paced modern lifestyle brings a new player to the table – frozen dim sum, which raises the question of whether convenience and affordability options can replace quality and culture.

This shift is reflective of a broader change in society, where the demand for quick and easy meals often overshadows the value of tradition. For younger diners, the popularity of easy-to-serve frozen foods is replacing the experience of yum cha, the Cantonese tradition of leisurely eating dim sum dishes while drinking tea in tea houses. For older generations, many fear the essence of yum cha culture – the stories shared with tea and dishes, the communal experience, and the craftsmanship of handmade dim sum dishes – may fade away. 

Frozen dim sum brands target young consumers who face a fast-paced lifestyle and high work pressure. These affordable and convenient products appeal to young people looking for easy meal options to fit their busy lifestyle.

“I am a faithful consumer of frozen dim sum,” said Sam Ye, a 25-year-old administrative staff at Shenzhen Technology University, who needs to arrive at the office by 8:30 a.m. daily. He said frozen dim sum saves him from having to wake up earlier or going to work on an empty stomach; all he has to do is bring it to work and steam it for five minutes.

These preferences make people like Ye a crucial part of the consumer base for frozen dim sum. Young people between 19 and 35 years old have emerged as the primary consumers in the national product market, accounting for over 60% of the consumer base, according to iiMedia Research.

The low price and convenience of frozen dim sum cater to the consumption needs of young consumers, making frozen dim sum their preference. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated development of the frozen dim sum industry. 

During the pandemic, frozen dim sum became a life-saver in the refrigerator because of prolonged Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns that kept people from leaving their home. Many people like Ye bought frozen dim sum for the first time during the pandemic and found that it tasted better than expected. The average sales of frozen food on Tmall, China’s largest e-commerce platform, increased more than fourfold from February to November 2020 compared to the previous year, according to a report from The Paper, a Chinese digital newspaper.

After 2000, different brands introduced frozen dim sum. In 2009, Wellcome, a mainstream supermarket in Hong Kong, launched its frozen dim sum brand, Yu Pin King, which became the main frozen dim sum sold in shops. Nowadays, the freezer cabinets in Wellcome are stocked with frozen products of nearly 10 brands, selling beef balls, oyster sauce bean curd sheet rolls, fish shao mai, and many other traditional dim sum dishes.

“Frozen dim sum allows urban consumers to get more diversified dishes within a certain budget, and at the same time allows urban consumers to spend their scarce time in other areas,” said Zhao Yao, an associate professor of business administration at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, China. “It’s part of the urbanisation process.”

Guangzhou Restaurant, the largest tea house in Guangzhou, revealed that its 2022 revenue from frozen food increased by 24.75% compared to the previous year. The revenue growth rate of frozen food surpassed the restaurant business, which rose 5.14%. In its 2023 report, Guangzhou Restaurant said it will focus on research and development to introduce a variety of new products, including visually appealing dumplings, pan-fried dumplings with bone broth, and other new frozen dim sum.

Cheung pointed to the pleats on sample B, the frozen shrimp dumplings made by Amoy, and said: “The frozen dumpling’s skin is thick and not elastic. You can find the pleats made by machine with the same distance and width.” She also pointed out that the shrimp inside the frozen dumplings were much smaller than the handmade ones.

The presence of lard was another difference between the two samples. “You can taste the lard in the freshly-made dim sum,” Cheung added, “Many people don’t know that lard is an important ingredient in shrimp dumplings, bringing layers of flavour and balance to the overall taste.” She said frozen dim-sum often omits this little-known ingredient to cut costs.

Cheung fondly recalled her childhood experiences with sesame rolls, a dish made from black sesame, rock sugar, and water chestnut powder, steamed and then rolled up.

Siu was less impressed by selecting dishes and drinking tea when she was a child. She grew up in a traditional Cantonese family where yum cha with older relatives used to be a regular routine on Sundays. It often felt like a bit of a chore because it “always took a long time and burned me out,” she said. “You know, they will talk for hours!”

But she feels differently nowadays. “Now, at 44 years old, I often go out for dim sum with my friends and family members to spend a couple of hours relaxing, to share details of our lives,” Siu said. She’s concerned that frozen dim sum is now emerging as the clear favourite among younger Chinese. While the convenience of frozen food is undeniable, she thinks they’ll miss out on the larger point of what dim sum is all about.

“Regardless of the development of frozen treats, there is no way to freeze the bond between people,” Siu said.