Have you tried Bah Kut Teh?
It literally means "meat bone tea".
Pork ribs in herbal broth, usually served with steamed rice and Chinese tea. This is the best dish ever, because it's everywhere in my hometown. A breakfast staple. I like the warmth that it provides. It's more about the broth, not the meat.
It was food for shipping-port coolies. Now it's considered luxury food. Businesses between the Malaysian-Chinese folks around here are usually discussed over a pot of Bah Kut Teh.
It's perfect because the main meat of the dish is actually the drink after. Chinese tea in mini cups.. it's a slow process, and the session could take hours.
Well, that's what the older generation of people do anyway. For me, it's like fast food. Yeah, it's so popular here that they serve it faster than Mcdonalds!
Lost in translation.
99% of the people I speak to in my hometown are convinced that it originated there. The tourism ministers of Malaysia and Singapore got into a dispute recently, fighting over the right to claim the origin of Bah Kut Teh.
What a farce. Dishes evolve anyway, and people do it differently wherever it gets to. It depends on access to ingredients. That said, there is a major difference between the Malaysian and Singaporean versions. Colour of the broth!
Same but different - literally black and white.
Singaporean Bah Kut Teh has white broth. Just because they don't use dark soy sauce - the only ingredient that darkens the broth! Compared with salt, it doesn't add much to the taste. Looks different, but it's really quite the same. I just prefer it black.
Try it out.
If there's no one selling this near where you are, consider this free business advice ;)
Anyway, Google's top search result is actually quite a good recipe. However, procuring the complex mix of herbs may be a problem. There's a short cut, however - you can buy this mix on Amazon.
The basic recipe can be found here: http://dailycookingquest.com/by-ingredient/tofu/bak-kut-teh-pork-ribs-in-spices-and-herbal-soup
Used to be my favourite when I was a kid. Franchise killed most of the really good ones, especially in Singapore. I still visit a place near Segamat for this every year during CNY just for Bak Kut Teh, hahas.
Is it the white/pepper type? I've tried the stalls in Segamat before, not too shabby! Just a bit too peppery for my own taste :)
Yum. I've actually had several varieties of this. My mother likes to make a broth with oxtail. Supposedly this is very good for you with the nutrients from the marrow. I like to add scallions, garlic, and celery to mine (sometimes carrots) for a broader taste. This post brings back good memories. :D
I used to have oxtail soup A LOT when I was younger (but from those soup cans). It's actually quite different! Mainly because of the ginseng-thingie and star anise/cinnamon that one adds to this one! And yeah oxtail / pork gives off very different broth flavours too :) . I stopped have oxtail soup when I saw an actual oxtail after ordering it in some restaurant about 15 years ago..
That's so funny! Because I don't mind weird things in my food.
I remember when my aunt cooked fish head soup. My husband (boyfriend at that time) was coming over for dinner. I was so excited. Well, he's a cook and always migrates to the kitchen. He opened the pot lid and saw all the fish heads and eyes, I thought my poor Irishman was going to pass out. LOL Needless to say, he did not have any, but I had a happy belly. :)
I am in, with a double shot of sriracha sauce.
Sriracha is perfect with yam rice, imo :)
http://foodelicacy.com/easy-fragrant-yam-rice/
I've had that before. It is delicious. Now I know why.
nice food post.
Do they have plenty of those in your location?
to be honest i'm in Dalian China and I have had their version of it. I do not know what they call it but based on your pictures and description without a doubt I have had it.
I don't think there are many places that sell it but I have not gone out looking for it. SOme friends ordered it when we out.
Looks like bone broth. Same thing?
It seems like many cultures have a variation of this.
Yeah I suppose! Not too sure about the herbs and rootstuff involved..
No exactly but this bak kut teh has a number of Chinese herbs in it.
I was going to write some day but @kevinwong beat me to it. :-)
I shall still do that. Maybe in the midst of Christmas - a good soup for a cold weather.
But for the record, Singapore do have black ones but the white one are more popular.
Bone broth is a staple in Northern European countries too, or at least it was when my grandparents were still alive.
Is tea involved in the process? I wonder what people put together with bones when they boil it with water..
No, not tea as such. Bone broth is savory herbs and small vegetables (onions, sliced potatoes, even cut corn or sweet peas) cooked with the broken leg bones of pork, beef, mutton, or chicken. It usually cooks all day then lasts several days. When I make it, I make enough to freeze in single servings. There are different amounts of meat actually on the bones when you are done, with beef and pork there's very little and the marrow is what cooks out into the broth (along with the minerals in the bone). Chicken usually has more meat, but it boils off into the soup.
Looks good, I should be able to get the ingredients I have most of them! Trying it!
There's a dry-version too :) https://coasterkitchen.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/dry-bak-kut-teh-recipe/
I had this in Penang a couple of years back. Really cool stuff! They have it in the restaurants here, but it tastes completely different from the real deal.
There are franchises now.. get one for your place :D
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This looks delicious.
It is delicious ;)