dim sum shines

Our visiting friends the Hofers, the self-described Ghenghis Kahns from Burns Lake, hoofed us off for Dim Sum at the nearby Westview Oriental Restaurant.
The whole herd enjoyed the wonton soup. What possible harm can be done to broccoli?
The kids stuck themselves to the sticky rice. Prawn shumai were a bit rubbery for my taste, but all rapidly consumed by the hungry army. Some odd tofu-scallop thing appeared, and another scallop attempt, only vaguely edible even without its tobiko toupee.
The dumplings on your left however...
not the ones with the orange tobiko aborted fish topping, the plain ones
and you're on a plane
into warm memories.
Nikkuman, hot pork buns in glass cases in little stores throughout the cold days of Japan. Cheap, filling, your tongue suddenly plunges into instant nostalgia.
When I lived in Japan, when it wasn't humidly hot, it was humidly cold. Home heating is actually room heating. From the luxury of climate controlled buildings of employment or commerce, one went forth into a variety of unpleasentry to and from anywhere. A long wait in a cold train station or a long walk to one's destination could be luxuriously ameliorated by a nikkuman. For a few coins, a feast. A portable hearth. Instant health.
Tastes take you back in time, and bring back all necessary memories. That's how we evolved. Our ancestors had to know what fruit was available where and when. In North Vancouver, one needs to know that the pork dumplings are not be missed for Dim Sum at the W.O.R. Our ancestors from a million years ago salute us, steal a dumpling.