Bak kut teh

Place of origin	Minnan,China[1][2] Klang,Malaysia(Hokkien version)[3][4] Singapore(Teochew version)[5][6]
Region or state	Hokkien- andTeochew-speaking areas ofChina,Malaysia, andSingapore
Associatedcuisine	Malaysia,Singapore
Main ingredients	pork ribs, complexbroth of herbs and spices (includingstar anise,cinnamon,cloves,dang gui,fennel seeds and garlic)
Variations	Hokkien and Teochew
Media: Bak kut teh

Bak kut teh
Bak kut teh in Chinese character
Chinese	肉骨茶
HokkienPOJ	Bah-kut-tê
Literal meaning	meat bone tea
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Ròugǔchá Yue: Cantonese Jyutping juk6 gwat1 caa4 Southern Min HokkienPOJ Bah-kut-tê

Bak kut teh (also speltbah kut teh and abbreviatedBKT;Chinese:肉骨茶;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Bah-kut-tê,Teochew Pe̍h-uē-jī:nêg8-gug4-dê5) is a pork rib dish cooked in broth popularly served inMalaysia andSingapore where there is a predominantHoklo andTeochew community.

The name literally translates from theHokkien dialect as "meat bone tea", and it usually consists ofpork ribs simmered in abroth of herbs and spices (includingstar anise,cinnamon,cloves,dong quai,fennel seeds and garlic) for hours. However, it can also be made with seafood, chicken and other meat.^[7][8] Despite its name, there is in fact no tea in the dish itself; the name refers to a strongoolongChinese tea which is usually served alongside the soup in the belief that it dilutes or dissolves the copious amount of fat consumed in this dish.

Additional ingredients may includeoffal, varieties of mushroom,choy sum, and pieces of driedtofu or fried tofu puffs. Additional Chinese herbs may includeyu zhu (玉竹, rhizome ofSolomon's seal) andju zhi (buckthorn fruit), which give the soup a sweeter, slightly stronger flavor. Light anddark soy sauce are also added to the soup during cooking, with varying amounts depending on the variant – theTeochew's version is lighter than theHokkiens'. The dish can be garnished with chopped coriander or green onions and a sprinkling of fried shallots.

In Malaysia, it is often served with strips of fried dough calledyou char kway (Chinese:油炸鬼/粿). Soy sauce (usually dark soy sauce, but light soy sauce is also offered sometimes) is preferred as a condiment, with which chopped chilli padi (Bird's eyes chili) and minced garlic is taken together. Tea of various kinds, for example theTieguanyin (鐵觀音, 铁观音) variety which is popular in the Klang Valley area of Malaysia, is also usually served in the belief that it dilutes or dissolves the copious amount of fat consumed in this dish.

In Singapore, similarly the Teochew variant dish is served with a side ofyoutiao cut into small pieces, meant to be dipped into the soup of the dish before consumption. Braised pig trotters are also an option that can be ordered as a side together with the dish and dark soy sauce with chilli padi is preferred as a condiment. Tea, prepared in akung fu tea ceremony is also served in restaurants specialising in the dish.

Bak kut teh is usually eaten for breakfast or lunch. TheHokkien andTeochew are traditionally tea-drinking cultures and this aspect runs deep in their cuisines.

Bak kut teh is commonly consumed in both Malaysia and Singapore.^[3] The origin ofbak kut teh is unclear, but it is believed to have been brought over fromFujian, China^[4][1][2] said to be based on aQuanzhou dish of beef ribs stewed with herbs known asniu pai ("beef steak").^[9][10] In Malaysia, the dish is popularly associated withKlang, where the locals believe it to be the place of origin ofbak kut teh.^[11] There are a number of claims for the invention of the dish; one claimed that a localsinseh (a Chinese physician) invented the dish in the 1930s,^[12] while another claimed he brought the recipe from his hometown in Fujian, China, in the 1940s.^[2] The dish is also claimed to have been invented inPort Klang for coolies working at the port to supplement their meagre diet and as a tonic to boost their health in the early 20th century.^[12] The dish was popular among early Chinese immigrants, many of whom had also come from Fujian.

TheTeochew variant was developed in Singapore and was sold along areas located beside theSingapore River, specifically inClarke Quay andRiver Valley after the end ofWorld War II.^[5] Established in 1925,^[13] owners of Pek Sin Choon claims that it had been supplying tea to bak kut teh stalls since its founding, but the business records were lost during World War II and the oldest preserved record by the business dates back to 1938.^[6] It is believed that the Singaporean version of the dish had at least been around since 1938, with evidence from Pek Sin Choon, which had been supplying tea to a bak kut teh stall, Nankin Street Bak Kut Teh, selling the Hokkien version of the dish in Maxwell Food Centre.^[6] The stall was founded by Teo Han Poh, the kitchen helper of Ong Say Bak Kut Teh (李旺世肉骨茶). Ong Say Bak Kut Teh was originally founded in the 1920s but was closed in 1989 due to redevelopment, leading to Teo starting her own bak kut teh business with the same recipe that was passed to her.^[14] By the 1960s,bak kut teh had become a popular street fare in Singapore. Certain business has been focused mainly on serving this dish, and developed their business from traditional humble pushcart into arestaurant chain, one such example would be Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, which was founded as a pushcart stall in 1969.^[15][16]

The question of its origin has been the subject of a dispute between Malaysia and Singapore; in 2009, the tourism minister of Malaysia,Ng Yen Yen, claimed thatbak kut teh is a dish of Malaysian origin, and that neighbouring countries had "hijacked" many of Malaysia's original dishes.^[17]

There are numerous variants ofbak kut teh with its cooking style closely influenced by the prevailing Chinese enclave of a certain geographical location.

There are three main types ofbak kut teh.

• TheTeochew style, which is light in colour but uses morepepper and garlic in the soup.
• TheHoklo (Hokkien), uses a variety of herbs and soy sauce creating a more fragrant, textured and darker soup.
• TheCantonese, with a soup-drinking culture (Canton Cuisine), add medicinal herbs as well to create a stronger flavoured soup.

The main visual difference between the Hokkien and Teochew version ofbak kut teh is that the Hokkiens use more dark soy sauce and thus the soup base is characteristically darker in colour.^[18]

In addition, a dry form ofbak kut teh has also recently become increasingly popular within Malaysia, especially in Klang town. Although calleddry, the broth is in fact reduced to a thicker gravy, to which other ingredients such as wolfberries, dried dates, dried chillies and dried squid are added. Unlike the original rib soup, the dry version has a tangier, sharper taste and is more akin to a herbal stew than the classical broth. It is often recommended locally in Malaysia as an excellent hangover cure.

In Malaysia, a less fatty variation ofbak kut teh made with chicken is calledchik kut teh.^[19] It also serves as ahalal version of the dish catered toMuslims, whose religionforbids them to consume pork.^[20]

Bak kut teh is popular among theChinese Indonesian community in theRiau Islands,Indonesia.^[21]

Vegetarian bak kut teh also can be found inMalaysia. Instead of using meat, oyster mushroom is used.

On 22 November 2008, the Malaysian Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCCI) collaborated with fivebak kut teh sellers in Klang to cook the world's biggest bowl of the Hokkien variant ofbak kut teh. The bowl was 182.88 cm in diameter and 91.44 cm in height, and contained 500 kg of meat, 450 kg of soup and 50 kg of herbal medicine, and has been listed in the Malaysian Book of Record.^[22]

Bak kut teh was recognised as an object of national heritage of Malaysia on 23 February 2024.^[23]

• Sekba
• List of Chinese soups
• List of soups

• Media related toBak kut teh at Wikimedia Commons

• Chinese soups
• Teochew cuisine
• Fujian cuisine
• Indonesian cuisine
• Malaysian cuisine
• Singaporean cuisine
• Chinese pork dishes

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