dim sum

We had dim sum on the weekend. Chinese food in the morning is not really something that seems to be easily accepted by Westerners, as witnessed by the number of asian versus non-asian people at the restaurant. But it is obviously very popular in Montreal. We got there at 10 am, and by the time we left, there was a massive crowd outside. And it was a huge place.

Anyway, so I wanted to know a little more about this tradition of having dim sum. Is it similar to the Western concept of "brunch"? Is "brunch" only North American? I don't remember ever having "brunch" while I was in Europe. They definitely do not seem to prize breakfast as a major meal like we do over here.

Anyway, I found these links:

dimsum.com

dim sum literary journal

dim sum a la wikipedia