Pan-Asian Tea

Now I know why people go out for dim sum.  I loved the idea of pulling from a huge variety of Asian cultures for this party.  What I didn't realize was how much my teas rely upon pre-baking at least half of the dishes.  The only thing I was able to make ahead was the almond cookies.  Everything else had to be fresh that day, or even within a few hours.

I had also planned to cheat on the bun dough and buy some at Mitsuwa, but they're primarily Japanese and didn't carry it in either the refrigerated or freezer sections.  I did not want to go all the way to 99 Ranch for it.  I can make dough faster than that.

At least the rest of the family got into it.  Techie Smurf made precise onigiri once I showed him how it worked, way more triangular than mine.  Writer Smurf wanted to pinch the bao dough all day.  Yes, I do know how to make silky dough.  Melody Smurf helped to decorate the cake.  Somehow, everything was ready by the time our few guests arrived, but I forgot to take pictures of the full platters.  I chickened out on inviting the intended dozen people once the Delta variant became a surge.  There are far worse things than eating tea leftovers for two days.

Cha Siu Bao (China)

Malaysian Chicken Satay

Onigiri (Japan)

Red Bean Buns (Taiwan)

Hong Kong Egg Tarts

Chinese Almond Cookies

Gelatin Fruits Cake

Various teas from India, China, and Japan