Dim Sum: A Pocket Guide

This tiny little pocket guide from Chronicle Books, only 4.8 by 3.5 inches, packs its 80 pages with descriptions, color images, and the phonetic pronunciation of the Cantonese name for 48 different dim sum dumplings. I never ate Asian food as a child, so as an adult I'd had to work past being intimidated by it. It took a trip to Japan to get me to try sushi, and now it's one of my favorite meals! I haven't explored dim sum yet, but I'm a little more encouraged to do so now that I've tried more Asian foods and found they're not so scary, and in fact often quite delicious.

I note that this little book gets an average rating on Amazon of 4.5 out of 5 stars. As one reviewer named Annie notes, "Dim sum is a totally different experience when you can actually ask for things by name." At $7.95, this little book is the right price, and it's certainly the right size, for a nifty and unusual stocking stuffer.

What: Dim Sum: A Pocket Guide
Where: Amazon or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $7.95 (plus shipping)