Bak Kut Teh

Name: Bak Kut Teh
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 15 g foxglove root; 5 g dried tangerine peel(s); 10 g Chinese angelica root; 5 g Szechuan lovage; 10 g liquorice root; 15 g solomon's seal; 5 black dates; 5 red dates; 5 g goji berries; 5 g codonopsis pilosula; 5 g star anise; 15 g cinnamon stick(s); 1 tsp Sichuan pepper; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 0.5 tbsp clove(s); 1 garlic head; 800 g pork; 5 g ginger; 1.5 tbsp soy sauce; 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce; 0.5 tbsp dark soy sauce; 0.5 tbsp salt; 0.5 tsp white pepper; 5 tofu puffs; 15 g enoki mushroom; 3 g iceberg lettuce

4.74 stars

‘Bak Kut Teh’ which literally means meat bone tea is an amazing broth based dish with a strong herbal taste. It is cooked using pork and multiple Chinese herbs. This recipe is the Hokkien version of Bak Kut Teh which is popular in Klang, Malaysia.

Grace Teo

@grace

Total Time

Preparation 10 mins
Cooking 240 mins

Dish Type

Main

Alternate Names

肉骨茶, Bakute

Cuisines

Malaysian, Singaporean

Ingredients

Servings:

15 g	foxglove root
5 g	dried tangerine peel(s)
10 g	Chinese angelica root
5 g	Szechuan lovage
10 g	liquorice root
15 g	solomon's seal
5	black dates
5	red dates
5 g	goji berries
5 g	codonopsis pilosula
5 g	star anise
15 g	cinnamon stick(s)
1 tsp	Sichuan pepper
1 tsp	fennel seeds
1⁄2 tbsp	clove(s)
1	garlic head
800 g	pork
5 g	ginger
1 1⁄2 tbsp	soy sauce
1 1⁄2 tbsp	oyster sauce
1⁄2 tbsp	dark soy sauce
1⁄2 tbsp	salt
1⁄2 tsp	white pepper
5	tofu puffs
15 g	enoki mushroom
3 g	iceberg lettuce

Simply delicious. I substituted pork with chicken instead. Thanks for the recipe!

Bak kut teh means ‘meat bone tea’ in the Chinese Hokkien dialect. To be exact, the term ‘bak’ refers to pork. That is the meat which is originally used in the broth. These days, chicken is also used as a substitute too. The dish is made by boiling different parts of the pork together with a variety of aromatics and Chinese herbs. The combination of Chinese herbs and aromatics such as star anise, cloves and smoked garlic makes this dish special indeed. Usually, bak kut teh is served with rice, vegetables and 'you tiao' (sometimes known as Chinese churros). Mostly found in Malaysia and Singapore, it is now one of the dishes that is well known in the region.

Differences between Malaysian and Singaporean bak kut teh

There are differences between the Hokkien version of bak kut teh which is commonly found in Malaysia when compared to the Teochew version in terms of colour, level of saltiness and of course the taste.

Type	Colour	Saltiness	Taste
Hokkien (Malaysia)	Dark	Salty	Herby
Teowchew (Singapore)	Light	Less salty	Peppery

Where to purchase bak kut teh herbs

If you want to make bak kut teh from scratch instead of using pre-packed herbs, this is all the information you will need. Bak kut teh herbs are simply Chinese medicinal herbs which are found in most Chinese medicinal halls or at Asian grocers around the world. In almost all Asian grocers, you will be able to find packs of 10 herbs usually marketed as ‘Chinese Herbal Soup Mix’ or ‘Chinese Tonic Soup’ .

Basic set of herbs for bak kut teh

In the table below, you will find the names of the ingredients in English, Chinese characters and pinyin. For a decent pot of bak kut teh, you will need at least 6 types of the herbs.

Herbs Name	Pinyin	Chinese characters
Foxglove root	Shu di huang	熟地黄
Chinese angelica root	Dang gui	當歸
Szechuan lovage	Chuang gong	川芎
Solomon's Seal	Yu zhu	玉竹
Red dates	Hong zao	红枣
Goji berries	Gou qi zi	枸杞子

Other additional ingredients which are used in the recipe are the more common herbs which add more flavours and medicinal benefits to the soup.

Herbs Name	Pinyin	Chinese characters
Dried orange peel	Chen pi	陈皮
Liquorice root	Gan cao	甘草
Codonopsis pilosula	Dang shen	黨參
Black dates	Nan zao	正南枣

Besides Chinese herbs, aromatics such as Sichuan pepper, fennel seeds and cloves are highly important to contribute to the aroma and flavours for which bak kut teh is known for.

Duration to boil bak kut teh

In this recipe, it is recommended to boil bak kut teh for four hours. If you are running short of time, two hours would be sufficient. However, the broth would taste much better if boiled for four hours.

Overnight bak kut teh

Bak kut teh tastes better after boiling for 4 hours and allowing to rest overnight in the refrigerator. This was a secret tip shared by one of the best restaurants in Klang when asked about the secret to its popular bak kut teh. There is indeed a big difference in taste after letting the broth settles and allowing the ingredients to release their flavours.

Allow the dish to cool to room temperature before keeping it in the refrigerator. It can be kept for up to 5 days but the flavours would be best if it is consumed the very next day. Do not leave bak kut teh at room temperature for more than 2 hours. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA), food left above 4.4 Celsius (40 Fahrenheit) should not be consumed as it is considered unsafe.

Separate broth with other ingredients

Usually, bak kut teh is served with vegetables (romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, bok choy) tofu puffs, fried bean curd skin and mushrooms (enoki, shiitake). These ingredients should be added to the dish shortly before serving. If you are unable to finish the dish in one sitting, these additional ingredients should be cooked with a portion of the broth separately to avoid spoiling the taste of the rest of the soup.

Secrets to tender pork

Here are two secrets to having tender meat in bak kut teh. It is important to keep the heat low while stewing the dish. Allow it to simmer for a few hours so that the meat will become tender and falls off the bone easily. Additionally, using a cast iron dutch oven will also guarantee that the meat would be tender and the broth flavourful. This is due to the heavy lid which prevents the broth from evaporating too much. The outcome is a very flavourful broth with soft and tender pork.

Steps to Prepare

Step 1 of 5

- 15 g foxglove root
- 5 g dried tangerine peel(s)
- 10 g Chinese angelica root
- 5 g Szechuan lovage
- 10 g liquorice root
- 15 g solomon's seal
- 5 black dates
- 5 red dates
- 5 g goji berries
- 5 g codonopsis pilosula
- 5 g star anise
- 15 g cinnamon stick(s)
- 1 tsp Sichuan pepper
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1⁄2 tbsp clove(s)

Put herbs and aromatics in a spice bag, tea bag or on kitchen paper. Secure with a string to prevent herbs from falling out during the cooking process.

Step 2 of 5

- 1 garlic head

Remove the layers of papery skin of the whole garlic bulb. Toast garlic in a dry pan at medium heat until it browns.

Step 3 of 5

- 800 g pork
- 5 g ginger

In a pot of boiling water, add 4 slices of ginger. Then, put in the pork. Once water begins to boil again, remove pork.

Step 4 of 5

- 1 1⁄2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1⁄2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1⁄2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1⁄2 tbsp salt
- 1⁄2 tsp white pepper

In a pot of water, add pork, herbs and aromatics. Bring to boil. Once it boils, lower heat to the minimum and allow broth to simmer for 30 minutes. Then, stir in soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 2 to 4 hours.

Step 5 of 5

- 5 tofu puffs
- 15 g enoki mushroom
- 3 g iceberg lettuce

Remove aromatics and herbs. Blanch tofu puffs and fried tofu skin in hot water to remove excess oil before adding them into the bak kut teh broth. Then, add some vegetables and enoki mushrooms.

Published: August 19, 2018