Bak Kut Teh (Pork Ribs Soup)
I was so used to Malaysia Bak Kut Teh when was in my home town, the color of the bak kut teh is dark in color, beside the main ingredient of Pork ribs, garlic, it is added with Dong Kuai, Cinnamon, Star Anise, dried mushroom, tofu puffs.
15 years ago, when I first came to Singapore to work, I tried the Singapore Bak Kut Teh and it is a total disappointment as compared to the Malaysia Bak Kut Teh, so if I do have a choice I try not to take Bak Kut Teh.
However, after spending more than ten years in Singapore, I started to appreciate the Singapore version Bak Kut Teh, only then I realized that there are numerous kinds of Bak Kut Teh cooking style, such as Teochew Style, Hokkien style and the Cantonese style.
The one that I had it in Malaysia is Cantonese style, for Cantonese, with the soup-drinking culture, so the Bak Kut Teh style are added with herbs.
The Teochew Bak Kut Teh is cooked without any herbs and it is without black soya sauce, the secret behind the Teochew Bak Kut Teh is dried fry the pepper in a pan and lightly crushed it, add in pork ribs, garlic with crushed pepper and boil it.
The Hokkien style Bak Kut Teh is close to Cantonese style, but the herb is too mild as compared to the Cantonese style.
So far my favorite Bak Kut Teh store in Singapore are Founder Rou Gu Cha Cafeteria, Sin Ming Road Bak Kut Teh & Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Char.
Whenever we go for Bak Kut Teh, we will order You Char Kway, pig trotters, pickled lettuce, stewed peanuts & Kung Fu Tea.
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