Original Bak Kut Teh of our Fathers. Re-creating Coolie Tea

Bak kut teh 肉骨茶 is one of Singapore's food icons (along with chicken rice, chili crab, Katong laksa etc). Yet, nobody knows now what the original bak kut teh was like. There are no written records except for anecdotes and grandfather stories diluted through five generations. There is also no precursor in China as bak kut teh is uniquely Nanyang.I try to re-create the earliest bak kut teh based on what we know about the conditions and needs of the time that led to its creation. The death throes and the years that followed the collapse of the Qing dynasty which ruled China for 268 years were a living hell.

Chinese coolies in the 1870s. Image credit: WikipediaMillions were forced to leave Guangzhou and Fujian fleeing widespread rebellion, wars and famine from the 1850s to 1920s. The main destinations were the tin mines, rubber plantations and seaports of British Malaya, and the gold mines and railways of California.

Port of Singapore 1890. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeCoolie tea or bak kut teh emerged in the British Malayan ports of Singapore and Swettenham (today's Klang). No records of the dates exist but bak kut teh was already prevalent in Singapore and Port Swettenham by the 1920s.Also called coolie tea, it was created by or for Hokkien coolies. The Toishanese coolies (from Guangzhou) in California never had such a dish.

Smoking opium in 1920s Singapore. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeA coolie's life is a nightmare. Far from home and family in a strange land with oppressive hot humid climate and sudden downpours. Penniless and in debt for the passage from China. Long hours of hard labour. Opium addiction was common. What types of ailments would a coolie, rickshaw puller, suffer from? These could provide clues on the recipe of coolie tea.

Rickshawman in 1900s Singapore. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThe coolies needed energy and strength to lift those heavy sacks, pull that rickshaw. Stamina to carry loads from dawn till dusk, pull that rickshaw on multiple round trips. Ward off fever from working and running bare foot through blistering sun and sudden thunder showers. Soothe those sprained muscles and torn ligaments. Relief from pain from arthritis and premature rheumatism from sleeping on damp floors, 20 or more to a room. General weakness, low energy and dry throat from opium smoking.

Street medicine in 1960s Singapore. Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeChinese physicians, traveling medicine men and self taught professed herbalists proffered their remedies. Each had their own formulations with room for old wives' cures and quackery. Here's what might be prescribed based on the common ailments and available herbs. 🍃Strengthen immune system - Astragalus 黃芪🍃Boost immune system - Codonopsis pilosula dang shen 党参🍃Promote blood circulation - Angelica sinensis dang gui 當歸🍃Promote blood circulation - Rehmannia 地黄🍃Boost stamina - Licorice 甘草🍃Promote liver & kidney function - Goji berry 枸杞🍃Reduce inflammation - Polygonatum odoratum Yu Zhu 玉竹🍃Reduce inflammation & pain relief - Ligusticum chuanxiong 川芎🍃Joint health - Wai San 淮山

For my re-creation, I picked these 6 herbs because they are inexpensive and easily available where I live (in Singapore).I have left out cinnamon, pepper, clove, star anise etc (common in today's "herbal" bak kut teh) as these are primarily flavourings. I am assuming that the earliest physicians were focussing more on the medicinal effects of their prescriptions to keep them as simple and affordable as possible. Such spices might also still be exotic and thus expensive at that time.

Went to the butcher stall and asked for the cheapest cut available. This came to SGD10 per kilo. Had to make do as these are likely much meatier than what the coolies had. The bone marrow, cartilage, meat and fat provide energy and promote joint health.The Port Swettenham coolies got their's from the abattoir upriver - the pork bones were destined for the Klang River but crocodile infestation persuaded the abattoir to let the coolies have the discards instead. The Singapore coolies got their pork bones from discards from the abattoir at the Singapore River.

Image credit: National Archives of SingaporeThere was a Pulau Saigon island in the Singapore River off Robertson Quay and Pulau Saigon Abattoir was located on this island. The channel between Pulau Saigon and the river bank was silted up, and it fused with the mainland in the early 1970s. Not that long ago, but few Singaporeans today know about Pulau Saigon.

Pork bones, herbs, and the next main ingredient is dark soy sauce. The Hokkiens use dark soy sauce frequently in their cooking. For the coolies, salts from soy sauce replace the minerals lost through perspiration at work.

The coolies boiled the pork bones, herbs, dark soy sauce and water to make bak kut teh. (I used a digital automatic pressure cooker.)

This is how coolie tea or the early bak kut teh of Singapore and Klang might look like. Just meat and bone, browned by dark soy sauce in a dark brown soup. The dish has a nice aroma from the pork bones and also from the herbs.

The soup tastes good - the soy sauce's savouriness balanced by the meat bones' natural sweetness. The herbs add layers of flavours and aromas that make this coolie dish tastes quite complex. I was using only an economic price dark soy sauce. (Despite the absence of spices, seasoning and only limited herbs used, this re-creation was not short on taste at all.) Little wonder then that this tonic soup was well received by coolies and persisted into the 1940s / 1950s when growing affluence start leading to changes in Klang and Singapore. It caught the fancy of towkays (bosses) and then, this humble, simple form of bak kut teh gradually faded away. Bak kut teh in Klang and Singapore were the same at first but their development started to diverge around the 1940s.

History of Klang Bak Kut TehIn Klang (formerly Port Swettenham), bak kut teh remains a Hokkien dish as the main Chinese clan here is Hokkien. So, it's still savoury dark soy sauce with herbs and pork. But, the herbal element is much reduced, sometimes only a trace of it. The pork bones are now meaty, choice cuts from the leg and shoulder. A coolie from the 1800s or early 1900s would be rather surprised by Klang bak kut teh today. One can't possibly call such luxury coolie teh, so the name fell into disuse and faded away into memory (of grandfathers).

History of Singapore Bak Kut TehAround the same time in Singapore (1940s / 50s), a "Teochew" style of bak kut teh emerged. The soup has little soy sauce, little or no herbs but just garlic and Sarawak pepper. The meat bone of choice is prime loin rib known as "dragon bone" for its size and meatiness. Gradually, "Teochew" bak kut teh edged out Hokkien bak kut teh and became the mainstream in Singapore today. Now, the original bak buk teh or coolie tea can only be had at home. Fortunately, it is easy to make and anyone can try it anywhere. It is tasty too, so it is worth a try. As for the recipe, you can mix and match and be your own herbalist 😄 Since there are no records, who can say you are wrong... right? 😜 Date: 23 May 2020