Bak kut teh

Bak kut teh, or  pork ribs soup, is a popular Chinese dish in Singapore.¹ The dish consists of pork ribs stewed with a mixture of fragrant herbs and spices such as garlic, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds and coriander.² Referring to the main ingredient in the dish, bak kut teh (Hokkien) and rou gu cha (Mandarin) translate literally to “meat bone tea”.³

Origin
Bak kut teh is believed to have originated from China’s Fujian province. The introduction of the dish to Singapore and Malaysia is attributed to Hokkien immigrants who moved to this region in the 19th century.⁴ The dish is said to have been popular with the Chinese coolies as a hearty breakfast before embarking on their backbreaking tasks of the day.⁵

In September 2009, however, the tourism minister of Malaysia, Ng Yen Yen, disputed the Chinese origin of the dish, claiming that bak kut teh was a Malaysian dish created by a Chinese physician in Klang during the 1930s. This claim has not yet been proven.⁶

Description
There are three traditional variants of bak kut teh in Singapore: Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese. As the Hokkien people prefer soups that are robust, their strand of bak kut teh is a strongly scented, thick and cloudy soup that has been boiled with rock sugar and a wide variety of herbs.⁷ The dark brown colour of the soup is due to the addition of copious amounts of dark soy sauce, as the Hokkiens often like their food to be saltier compared with their counterparts.⁸

The Cantonese, with their fondness for herbal soups, add more medicinal herbs to the dish. Theirs is a less salty version of the Hokkien-style bak kut teh but with a strong herbal taste. Additional ingredients used include button mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and dried tofu.⁹

Teochew soups are typically clear in appearance and light in taste. As such, the Teochew variant of bak kut teh is seasoned only with garlic, soy sauce and pepper, with the soup simmered and skimmed. The result is a fine, light brown consommé that is garlicky and peppery.¹⁰

Non-pork variants of bak kut teh using other meats such as mutton, beef or even ostrich meat have also been developed in Singapore. These alternatives were introduced to cater to the Muslim community or as a result of the Nipah virus outbreak in the late 1990s.¹¹

Bak kut teh is typically eaten with steamed white rice, you tiao (dough fritters), offal, preserved vegetables and braised beancurd skin. Light or dark soy sauce is used as a dip. Sliced chilli, minced garlic or chopped chilli padi are often added to the dipping sauce. Chinese tea is the preferred beverage when having bak kut teh, as it is believed to help wash down the oil and fat from the dish.¹² While the preparation of bak kut teh traditionally required one to buy and prepare the necessary herbs and spices, bak kut teh premix packets are now also available.¹³

Many popular bak kut teh stalls can be found in the central business district and in the areas around Balestier Road and Geylang Road.¹⁴



Author
Damien Lim



References
1. Life!eats: A Guide to Singapore’s Best Food Places (Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings, 2004), 112–13. (Call no. RSING 647.955957 LIF)
2. Dominique Grêlé, Discover Singapore on Foot (Singapore: Select Publishing, 2004), 130. (Call no. RSING 915.957 GRE-[TRA]); Naleeza Ebrahim and Yaw Yan Yee, Not Just a Good Food Guide: Singapore (Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2006), 153. (Call no. RSING 647.955957 NAL)
3. Carolyn Hong, “Halal Bak Kut Teh a Boiling Issue,” Straits Times, 23 December 2009, 16 (From NewspaperSG); A Guide to Singapore’s Best Food Places, 112–13.
4. Edwin Tam, Singapore: Eat, Drink & Be Merry (Singapore: Page One, 2008),  81. (Call no. RSING 915.95704 TAM-[TRA])
5. Leslie Tay, “Founder Bak Kut Teh: From Pig Farmer To Bak Kut Teh,” ieatishootipost.sg, accessed 30 August 2016.
6. E. Looi, “Truly Malaysian?” Straits Times, 18 September 2009, 9 (From NewspaperSG); “‘We’ll Apologize If Dish Not Malaysian’,” New Paper, 25 September 2009. (From Factiva via NLB’s eResources website)
7. Margaret Chan, Margaret Chan’s Foodstops (Singapore: Landmark Books, 1992), 106. (Call no. RSING 647.955957 CHA)
8. Naleeza Ebrahim and Yaw, Not Just a Good Food Guide, 154.
9. Naleeza Ebrahim and Yaw, Not Just a Good Food Guide, 153–55.
10. Naleeza Ebrahim and Yaw, Not Just a Good Food Guide; Chan, Margaret Chan’s Foodstops, 106; A Guide to Singapore’s Best Food Places, 112–13.
11. Margaret Lum, “Can’t Stand It! I’ve Got To Pig Out,” Straits Times, 25 April 1999, 14; “Strategy Is Effective in Drawing More Customers, Including Non-Muslim,” Straits Times, 16 November 1995, 2. (From NewspaperSG)
12. Grêlé, Discover Singapore on Foot, 130; Tam, Eat, Drink & Be Merry, 81; A Guide to Singapore’s Best Food Places, 112.
13. Wong Ah Yoke, “Prima Strikes Out With Bak Kut Teh and Other Hawker Fare,” Straits Times, 6 May 2001, 10. (From NewspaperSG)
14. Grêlé, Discover Singapore on Foot, 124.



The information in this article is valid as at 2016 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.