Bak kut teh

Bak kut teh (Hokkien for "Pork rib tea") is a soup served in Malaysia and Singapore. It is commonly eaten with rice, and particularly in Malaysia, often served with strips of fried dough called you char kueh (or Youtiao in Mandarin). Generally it is served in a clay pot with various parts of the pig, varieties of mushroom, lettuce, and dried tofu sheets or pieces (taufu pok). The soup itself is a broth which consists of several herbs and spices (including star anise, cinnamon, cloves and garlic) which have been boiled together with soup bones for many hours. It is usually accompanied by tea in the belief that tea dilutes or dissolves the copious amounts of fat which is consumed in the eating of this dish.

There are variants of bak kut teh that usually depend on the closest major Chinese enclave. Klang is regarded by many as being the place with the tastiest bak kut teh. Indeed, the dish is reported to have been invented in Port Klang for port coolies there in the early 20th century.

External links

• Origins
• recipe — by Amy Beh