• The term “bak kut teh” originated from the Hokkien dialect. In Hokkien and Teochew culture, soup made with Chinese herbs can be referred to as “tea soup” or “tea”. Thus, this “tea” (teh) made using pork ribs (bak kut, literally, “meat bone”) was called bak kut teh.
• In addition, bak kut teh is often eaten paired with a pot of “Gongfu tea”, which the Chinese believe to have grease-reducing properties.

While soup-based bak kut teh is common in Singapore, the braised version is not. Food Odyssey Enterprise, situated opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre, has introduced a new dish called “Braised Bak Kut Teh”. (Shin Min Daily News, 9/8/2010)

 As pork is the type of meat most commonly consumed by the Chinese, when describing dishes made with pork, the Chinese simply refer to it as “meat”, like in meat buns, roasted meat and minced meat noodles. Hence, pork rib soup was simply named “bak kut teh” (literally, “meat bone tea”).