History
Bak-kut-teh was introduced to Malaya in the 19th century by Chinese coolies and workers of Hokkien origin. The dish is reported to supplement the meagre diet of port coolies and as a tonic to boost their health. 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.
The Chinese word bak (肉), which means meat (or more specifically pork), is the vernacular pronunciation in Hokkien and Teochew.
Read more about this topic: Bak Kut Teh
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