In Chinese culture, tea is virtually of equal importance to food. This can be evidenced by the vernacular language, for example when describing the classic prodigal son, one might use the saying- “茶来伸手,饭来张口” which is translated as “when served tea (he or she) stretched his or her arm out, when served rice(he or she) opened his or her mouth” to demonstrate the lack of independence of the individual. Another popular saying is “茶不思饭不想” which is translated as “does not think of tea or rice” to denote an obsession with something to the neglect of daily necessities.
Bak Kut Teh- Pork Ribs Tea?
Translated it means pork rib tea but it is pork ribs soup which is traditionally served with tea.
If you look up tea related literature from China on tea culture around the world- Bak Kut Teh (or BKT for short) usually appears under the Singapore section. There may be some debate with our northern neighbors on which is the original birthplace of BKT but there is no doubt BKT is uniquely Singapore (and Malaysian).
Simply put, it is a peppery or herbal concoction brewed with sumptuous pork ribs in an artery choking but immensely gratifying offering. Because of the greasy meaty servings, this has been traditionally served with tea- almost exclusively oolong tea- in a Chaozhou gongfu style no less.
The strong and robust taste of the Fujian style oolong provided an excellent foil to the flavorful soup, rehydrating and aiding digestion at the same time. Dispelling the grease and encouraging the eater to reach for yet another rib (or two).
Hakka Thunder Tea Rice
The story goes, during the era of the Three Kingdoms, the Shu Army was plagued with illnesses due to the heat of the southern provinces that they were unaccustomed to. A local old woman seeing the discipline of the Shu Army and the benevolence of their ruler Liu Bei shared her family’s ‘secret remedy’ of rice cooked with blended ginger and tea leaves. The army eventually was healed and won a resounding victory and the dish gained popularity thereafter.
Today this is primarily cooked by blended sesame, peanuts with tea leaves but every stall has its ‘secret formula’. It has gained popularity in Singapore especially given the hot and humid weather. The tea concocted soup will invigorate the drinker and whet his or her appetite, even in this sweltering heat.
Yum Cha- A Dim Sum Culture
In Singapore, Cantonese are one of the majority dialect groups and it is no surprise that Cantonese cuisine including Dim Sum is ubiquitous in Singapore. Every weekend, lengthy queues in front of popular Dim Sum restaurants testify to the popularity of Dim Sum in Singapore.
