The Song dynasty was the Chinese dynasty when teahouses serving dim sum-like snacks became popular.
The Song dynasty lasted from 960 to 1279, a period of major urban growth, commercial activity, and sophisticated food culture. Teahouses became important social and business spaces, where travelers and residents could drink tea alongside small portions of savory and sweet foods. These early snacks formed part of the long development that eventually produced modern dim sum.
Guangzhou’s position as a busy port helped the tea-and-snack custom spread and evolve. Cantonese “yum cha” literally means “drinking tea,” although in practice it came to describe the broader experience of visiting a teahouse for tea, conversation, and small dishes. The phrase “dim sum” is commonly translated as “touch the heart.”
Modern Cantonese dim sum took shape much later, especially in the nineteenth century, when teahouses developed larger menus and specialized restaurants. The Ming dynasty also influenced tea culture, but it was not the dynasty identified with the early popularization of teahouse snack traditions in this question. The Tang dynasty predates the Song-era development, while the Qing dynasty came afterward.