Bak Kut Teh

Bak kut teh is a pork rib soup, simmered with garlic and spices and usually served with rice or tea. Singapore and Malaysia share the dish, and it is eaten in hawker centres, coffee shops and dedicated soup restaurants in both countries. Each kitchen has its own version, so the same name can cover quite different bowls.

What it really is

Pork ribs, usually cut into pieces with the bone still in, are simmered for a long time in water with garlic, star anise, cinnamon and black pepper, then seasoned with soy sauce. The result is a savoury, peppery broth in which the meat becomes tender enough to come away from the bone. The broth is the centre of the dish, not a sauce on the side. The balance of spice and soy changes from one kitchen to the next, so the flavour and colour can vary a great deal from one stall to another.

How it's served

• Hot, in a deep bowl, with the ribs and broth together.
• With steamed white rice, or with a pot of Chinese tea, which are the usual accompaniments.
• Eaten with a spoon for the broth and by hand for the meat around the bone.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the protein: pork ribs, bone-in, and say so clearly on the menu.
• Flag soy and wheat, because the soy sauce in the broth contains both. Check whether rice or tea is included in the price.
• List the spices in the broth (garlic, star anise, cinnamon and black pepper) so that guests who avoid star anise or cinnamon can choose.
• Say whether it is a soup on its own or a set with rice, and whether dark soy sauce is used, since guests often ask.
• State the portion, whether by bowl or by number of ribs.