Bak Kut Teh is undoubtedly one of the most popular Malaysian Chinese dish everywhere. Klang is particularly famous for Bak Kut Teh where you can find many shops and hawker stalls selling Bak Kut Teh in its many variations.
If you are a Bak Kut Teh fan, here's a trivia for you - where do you think is the origin of Bak Kut Teh? Undisputably, most will insist it is a Malaysian dish (perhaps some Singaporeans might differ on this) but where exactly is it from? Some people remarked that it must be from Klang as this is where Bak Kut Teh is most famous. Well, this is partly correct. According to the most plausible version of the story, Bak Kut Teh was invented by a gentleman from Quanzhou of the Fujian province in China. The secret recipe was passed to a friend who later went to Klang and became the first person to commercialise and sell Bak Kut Teh. The dish went on to become a famous dish and was copied and improved many times over. So according to this version the Hokkiens were the inventors of the dish. The Teochews came later and the main visual difference between the Hokkien and Teochew version of Bak Kut Teh is that the Hokkiens use dark soy sauce and thus the soup base is characteristically darker in colour. It is up to the individual's taste buds which one tastes better.
Bak Kut Teh was originally served in an octagonal bowl of short depth. Later variations tend to serve the dish in clay pot which we think only serves to keep the heat. Some swears it adds to the taste while others (traditionalists) seem to think it is just another gimmick to provide product differentiation. One thing for sure, the clay pot version usually comes added with extra ingredients like straw mushrooms, lettuce or abalone into the dish. Perhaps the traditionalists are right, it's just a gimmick for an excuse to charge more. What's your view?
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Origin of Bak Kut Teh
Bak Kut Teh is undoubtedly one of the most popular Malaysian Chinese dish everywhere. Klang is particularly famous for Bak Kut Teh where you can find many shops and hawker stalls selling Bak Kut Teh in its many variations.
If you are a Bak Kut Teh fan, here's a trivia for you - where do you think is the origin of Bak Kut Teh? Undisputably, most will insist it is a Malaysian dish (perhaps some Singaporeans might differ on this) but where exactly is it from? Some people remarked that it must be from Klang as this is where Bak Kut Teh is most famous. Well, this is partly correct. According to the most plausible version of the story, Bak Kut Teh was invented by a gentleman from Quanzhou of the Fujian province in China. The secret recipe was passed to a friend who later went to Klang and became the first person to commercialise and sell Bak Kut Teh. The dish went on to become a famous dish and was copied and improved many times over. So according to this version the Hokkiens were the inventors of the dish. The Teochews came later and the main visual difference between the Hokkien and Teochew version of Bak Kut Teh is that the Hokkiens use dark soy sauce and thus the soup base is characteristically darker in colour. It is up to the individual's taste buds which one tastes better.
Bak Kut Teh was originally served in an octagonal bowl of short depth (obviously to keep profit margins high!). Later variations tend to serve the dish in clay pot which we think only serves to keep the heat. Some swears it adds to the taste while others (traditionalists) seem to think it is just another gimmick to provide product differentiation. One thing for sure, the clay pot version usually comes added with extra ingredients like straw mushrooms, lettuce or abalone into the dish. Perhaps the traditionalists are right, it's just a gimmick for an excuse to charge more.
If you are a Bak Kut Teh fan, here's a trivia for you - where do you think is the origin of Bak Kut Teh? Undisputably, most will insist it is a Malaysian dish (perhaps some Singaporeans might differ on this) but where exactly is it from? Some people remarked that it must be from Klang as this is where Bak Kut Teh is most famous. Well, this is partly correct. According to the most plausible version of the story, Bak Kut Teh was invented by a gentleman from Quanzhou of the Fujian province in China. The secret recipe was passed to a friend who later went to Klang and became the first person to commercialise and sell Bak Kut Teh. The dish went on to become a famous dish and was copied and improved many times over. So according to this version the Hokkiens were the inventors of the dish. The Teochews came later and the main visual difference between the Hokkien and Teochew version of Bak Kut Teh is that the Hokkiens use dark soy sauce and thus the soup base is characteristically darker in colour. It is up to the individual's taste buds which one tastes better.
Bak Kut Teh was originally served in an octagonal bowl of short depth (obviously to keep profit margins high!). Later variations tend to serve the dish in clay pot which we think only serves to keep the heat. Some swears it adds to the taste while others (traditionalists) seem to think it is just another gimmick to provide product differentiation. One thing for sure, the clay pot version usually comes added with extra ingredients like straw mushrooms, lettuce or abalone into the dish. Perhaps the traditionalists are right, it's just a gimmick for an excuse to charge more.
Friday, December 11, 2009
'Halal' Bak Kut Teh at fabulous Food event
The 'Halal'version of "Bak Kut Teh", a popular Chinese dish, can be savoured at the "Fabulous Food 1Malaysia" event at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) from 18th - 20th December 2009.
The dish will be prepared by the executive chef of the JW Marriot Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Zaffar Abdul Samad, for 300 people daily.
According to Eileen Chew, The Director of Projects & Public Relations of Expomal International, who is organising the event with Tourism Malaysia, the traditional food of the Malay community, like nasi lemak, which can be savoured by all Malaysians, they also want Bak Kut Teh which is among the popular Chinese dish to be experienced by other communities.
The halal Bak Kut Teh dish will have chicken, seafood & vegetables as the ingredients, and will be cooked with 10 types of herbs, including angelica, cloves & orange peel.
The dish will be prepared by the executive chef of the JW Marriot Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Zaffar Abdul Samad, for 300 people daily.
According to Eileen Chew, The Director of Projects & Public Relations of Expomal International, who is organising the event with Tourism Malaysia, the traditional food of the Malay community, like nasi lemak, which can be savoured by all Malaysians, they also want Bak Kut Teh which is among the popular Chinese dish to be experienced by other communities.
The halal Bak Kut Teh dish will have chicken, seafood & vegetables as the ingredients, and will be cooked with 10 types of herbs, including angelica, cloves & orange peel.
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