Bak kwa, also known as rougan
Bak kwa, also known as rougan (肉 干), is a dried savoury sweetmeat that traditionally takes the form of thin square slices and is usually made from pork. Bak kwa and rougan, meaning “dried meat” in Hokkien and Mandarin respectively, also refer to barbecued pork or pork jerky. Originating from China, bak kwa has become a favourite local snack in Singapore, with its popularity peaking during Chinese New Year, as evidenced by the long queues at the branches of famous bak kwa chains during the festive period.
Bak kwa is thought to have derived from a meat preservation and preparation technique used in ancient China. It is considered a Hokkien delicacy as it originated from Fujian province where the consumption of meat was considered a luxury usually reserved for Chinese New Year. Pork was preserved by slicing the meat into thin sheets and marinating them with sugar and spices, before air-drying the slices and cooking them over a hot plate. When this delicacy found its way to Singapore and Malaysia, it took on local characteristics. For example, after the meat is air-dried, it is grilled over charcoal, which imparts a smokier flavour. The local version is also sweeter than the original version.
The oldest bak kwa shop in Singapore is Kim Hock Guan, which was set up by two brothers in 1905 with the first outlet on Rochor Road. Other major players in the local bak kwa business include Bee Cheng Hiang, Lim Chee Guan, Fragrance and Kim Joo Guan. The bak kwa business is so competitive that bak kwa companies zealously guard their marinade recipe and refuse to divulge sales figures or the amount of raw pork purchased for making bak kwa during Chinese New Year. The marinade is likely to consist of salt, pepper, sugar, honey, soya sauce, rice wine, five-spice powder and fish sauce
Old-School Bak Kwa Seller That Has Been Around Since The 1930s
Kim Peng Hiang for old-school bak kwa at Kembangan
Few things in life can match the satisfaction of biting into savoury, delightfully charred, and slightly greasy pieces of bak kwa. Arguably one of the most popular bak kwa names in the business, Kim Peng Hiang is a family-run stall that’s famous for their legendary queues that stretch up to eight hours during the Chinese New Year period.
Having been around since the 1930s, Kim Peng Hiang was previously located at the now-defunct Pearls Centre in Chinatown before moving to the row of shophouses along Changi Road, where they remain at to this day. It is a five-minute walk from Kembangan MRT Station. Despite their popularity, Kim Peng Hiang does not take online orders, and customers are required to queue in person to get their hands on the yummy bak kwa. The shop also does not have a dedicated Facebook page or website, which makes it difficult to predict when they’re open for orders.
Typically, the stall puts out a notice at their shop days before pre-orders start. Ordering begins at approximately 11:30am, and customers are limited to a purchase of 3kg per person. Upon making payment via cash, you can collect your bak kwa between 2pm and 8pm the following day. Kim Peng Hiang fixes their bak kwa prices throughout the year, so you won’t need to worry about inflated prices during the festive season. This also means that they don’t offer discounts on regular days either.
Heritage Handmade Bak Kwa Brand That Started Out In A Kampung
The good ol’ days of Kim Tee
There are many bak kwa shops in Singapore, but few have a history as rich as Kim Tee’s. With Chinese New Year (CNY) just around the corner, there’s no better time to spotlight the family-run bak kwa brand, which started as a humble kampung stall in 1970. Over its 50-odd years of heritage, the homegrown business has seen multiple changes, including new innovations such as bak kwa fries and self-heating bak kwa pot added to its repertoire. Yet, one thing remains unchanged: Kim Tee still uses the same handmade recipe as its founding days, involving an arduous, two-step charcoal cooking process that places it a notch above the rest. Today, the brand boasts four outlets across the island, the baton now passed on to the third generation who are working hard to continue ‘Ah Gong’s’ legacy.
It all started with the late founder Mr. Teo Kim Tee, who operated out of a small stall in his kampung along Adam Road circa 1970. Back then, he was known as a wholesaler who supplied his wares to other noteworthy bak kwa brands. Mr. Teo perfected his craft over the years, soon carving a name for himself for his uniquely thin and flavourful bak kwa. As more kampungs were cleared to make way for development in the 1970s, Mr. Teo moved his operations out of the Adam Road kampung to a shophouse in Serangoon Gardens and formally set up ‘New Eastern (Kim Tee) Dried and Minced Pork’ in 1976. Today, the brand still operates out of the same shophouse, though they’ve recently rebranded to a more succinct ‘Kim Tee’ as a homage to the late founder.
The business has always been a family affair. Since the start, Mr. Teo’s children were involved in running the store. His grandchildren were also roped in to help from as early as the age of six. They started with folding bak kwa boxes, before they were ‘promoted’ to manning the front of house. Thereafter, they would be let in on the highly guarded bak kwa making process. After Kim Tee became an established name, Mr. Teo’s children went on to open three more branches, namely at Old Airport Road, Potong Pasir, and Toa Payoh. The bak kwa is still prepared and roasted in large charcoal-fired ovens at their flagship Serangoon Gardens store, but finished off on the charcoal grill at the various locations so that it gets to each customer as fresh as possible. These days, the business is largely helmed by the family’s third generation, including Ms. Ng Ling Chee, whom we had the chance to speak to. Ling Chee is in charge of business development in Kim Tee, while her parents run the Old Airport Road outlet.
What is bak kwa, and why do Chinese, Malaysians and Singaporeans crave it at Lunar New Year?
Bak kwa is a popular snack at Lunar New Year – and all year round
People pay high prices and queue for ages to get their hands on this salty-sweet dried meat, but where, and how, did it originate? Among all the well-known Lunar New Year snacks, bak kwa or rou gan is probably among the most famous of them all. Where did this tasty treat, which is similar to jerky, come from? Ask any Chinese person and you’ll most likely be told this: bak kwa, which means “dried meat” in the Hokkien dialect, is synonymous with Lunar New Year, and it is almost a crime not to have this moreish snack in your home all through the festive season.
Its origins can be traced by to ancient China, specifically the province of Fujian, during a time when poverty was widespread. Pork (or meat in general) was considered a luxury that not everyone could afford, so it was reserved for Lunar New Year. These succulent barbecued meats are first sliced into thin strips and dipped in a sugar and spice marinade before being air-dried and cooked over a hotplate. As many Hokkien immigrants from Fujian made their way to the Malay Archipelago (now Malaysia) in the early 15th century to escape a life of poverty, they reputedly brought this delicacy with them. It has since been tweaked to suit local tastes. The Malaysian and Singaporean versions are grilled over charcoal after being air-dried, which gives the meat a smokier flavour. The local version is sweeter than the original.
There are two main varieties of bak kwa in Malaysia and Singapore, minced pork and sliced pork. The minced pork version, which has a higher fat content, is prepared by shaping minced meat into slices before grilling. The sliced version is leaner and tougher as it is made from pork slices that have been cut off from solid blocks of meat. Making this snack can be time-consuming, but machines have helped to save time. When Lim Kay Eng, founder of popular bak kwa shop Lim Chee Guan, opened the store in 1938, a slab of pork cut into thin slices was marinated and dried in the sun – 82 years later, the process remains pretty much the same, except machines are used to cut large slabs of pork and to transport the meat from one production station to another. Everything else is still done by hand, says Benny Lim, the founder’s grandson.
Bak Kwa
Bakkwa is made with a meat preservation and preparation technique originating from China. The general method of production has remained virtually unchanged throughout the centuries, but the techniques have been gradually improved. It is traditionally made of pork, beef, or mutton, which is prepared with spices, sugar, salt and soy sauce, then dried on racks at around 50 to 60 °C (122 to 140 °F) to a final water activity between 0.60 and 0.69.
Nowadays, products with a softer texture, lighter color and less sugar are preferred. The shafu type of bakkwa products has a higher water content, and thus has a softer texture and lower sugar content. Whereas the traditional bakkwa has a water activity below 0.7, shafu bakkwa tends to be closer to a water activity of about 0.79. Nevertheless, shafu can have a similar shelf life to other types of bakkwa.
Bakkwa is very popular in Singapore and Malaysia where it is traditionally eaten during the Chinese New Year. When Chinese immigrants brought this delicacy over to Singapore and Malaysia, it began to take on local characteristics. A notable example lies in the preparation of bakkwa, where the meat is grilled over charcoal rather than air-dried, imparting a smokier flavor to the meat. The Singaporean and Malaysian versions of bakkwa are also sweeter than their mainland China counterparts with many different variations having developed to suit local palates, such as chili bakkwa.
What is Bak Kwa
Bak Kwa is Juicy, Tender, Slow Grilled. It's Better Than Jerky!
Seasoned with Southeast Asian spices then slow grilled to perfection, Bak Kwa (BUCK K'WAH) is a Singapore and Malaysian Street-Style roasted meat snack. Packed with umami, Bak Kwa is often small-batch crafted, then roasted to seal in moisture and to give it an authentic smoky char. It's succulent, sweet and savory. Bak Kwa is similar to many jerky, meat sticks or meat bars, but It's Better Than Jerky!®
What makes Bak Kwa different from jerky or meat bars is the cooking method that results in a more tender, juicier protein-rich snack. Native jerky was traditionally air-dried over days. Modern jerky speed up its drying process with a commercial dehydrator or smokehouse where the temperature is often warm and humid. Air circulation is also increased to speed up its drying process.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore and Malaysia namely, Bak Kwa is a popular street snack. (It was also featured on CNN Go as top 10 Singapore street food we cannot live without!). It is still grilled or roasted over charcoal. The cooking process is much quicker (as it's not dehydrated over days), resulting in softer texture and bolder flavors. Elevating from traditional Bak Kwa crafting, we've made this century old protein-rich snack healthier and portable. All our Bak Kwa are gluten free, without added hormones and antibiotics. Compare our Bak Kwa to traditional jerky and meat bars, you'll find our meat snacks have lower sodium as no nitrites and nitrates are added.
EVERYTHING YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT BAK KWA
With the Lunar New Year festivities in full swing, we look ‘bak’ on an old favourite dish. Here’s the who, what,where, and when of this juicy delicacy, and why we love it so much! Once again, we come to that time of year where the queues begin to form in front of Kim Hock Guan, Lim Chee Guan, and Kim Hwa Guan. In short, it’s a good time to be a Guan.
Despite all the grumbling about price increases during this festive season, many Singaporeans are still willing to go that extra mile, sometimes literally, just for that perfect chewy slice of meat – Bak Kwa. So, what is it that gets us so excited about this simple, yet satisfying dish? First, the history. Originating in Fujian, a Southeastern province in China, the delicacy was first created as a tasty way to gobble up leftovers. Meat was sliced into thin sheets, marinated with sugar and spices and air-dried, before it was heated over a hot plate to preserve it for a longer period.
The poverty of the working class, at that point, meant that meat was a delicacy enjoyed only on special occasions, and so Bak Kwa soon came to be associated with the celebrations of Chinese New Year. The Southern Chinese diaspora in the 19th and early 20th century introduced Bak Kwa into Malaysia and Singapore. The disadvantages of air-drying meat soon became apparent, as the sheets of meat began to attract salivating pests of all kinds, and hawkers had to keep a close watch on their wares at all times. Charcoal grilling became much more common, and the Bak Kwa varieties in Singapore began to distinguish themselves from their Chinese cousins through their smokier taste.
7 popular bak kwa brands ranked from best to worst
7 Bak Kwa to celebrate with sweet and salty porky goodness:
- Bee Cheng Hiang
- Fragrance
- Kim Joo Guan
- Bee Kim Heng
- Kim Hua Guan
- Lim Chee Guan
- Hock Wong
10 Best Bak Kwa In Singapore To Complete Your CNY
It is not really the Lunar Chinese New Year until we get our first bite of Bak Kwa, isn’t it? (YES, at least for me) As the Lunar Chinese New Year approaches, many scramble to get their festive goodies ready, and one that we can never miss would be Bak Kwa!
The savoury, sweet and smoky pork jerky is a necessity in my family’s CNY feast and would kick start the festive.
10 Best Bak Kwa in Singapore to celebrate CNY 2022:
- Kim Peng Hiang
- Kim Hua Guan Bak Kua
- Fragrance
- Bee Cheng Hiang
- Kim Joo Guan
- Lim Chee Guan
- Sang Hock Guan
- New Peng Hiang
- Peng Guan Bak Kwa
- Xi Shi Bak Kwa
10 Best Bak Kwa Shops In Singapore
Bakkwa, also known as rougan, is a salty-sweet dried beef product akin to jerky that originated in China. Bakkwa is created using a Chinese technique for meat preservation and processing.
Sweet, savory, umami, meaty, and gratifyingly greasy, these gleaming squares speckled with charcoal char marks are sweet, savory, umami, meaty, and gratifyingly greasy in a manner that a cookie will never be. It’s manna from the CNY snack heavens — but only when you come across a piece that’s worth the (exorbitant) calories. We’ve all experienced the disappointment of eagerly biting into a slice only to discover it depressingly dry and tasteless.
We have listed down the top 10 finest Bak Kwa shops in Singapore to complete your CNY feast:
- Bee Kim Heng
- Golden Gourmet Bak Kwa
- Fragrance Bakkwa
- Kim Hock Guan
- New Peng Hiang
- Kim Joo Guan
- Bee Cheng Hiang
- Kim Tee
- Lim Chee Guan
- Peng Guan
15 Lip-Smacking Bak Kwa To Snack On CNY
There are a few staples when it comes to Chinese New Year, and one that we can’t go without is bak kwa. This sweet, decadent pork jerky is nothing short of gratifying – even better, when they come with charred edges. You’ll keep reaching for it even if it means you’ll have to work extra hard to burn off ‘em calories. This CNY 2023, get your hands on the best bak kwa with our list of the best places to get them in Singapore!
Best places to buy bak kwa in Singapore
- Bee Cheng Hiang
- Fyre
- Fragrance
- Kim Tee
- Shangri-La
- Gin Thye
- Golden Bridge
- New Peng Hiang
- Wu Chin Leong
- New Moon
- Peng Guan
- Hock Moon Hiong
- Kim Joo Guan
- Lim Chee Guan
- Xi Shi Bakkwa
The story of Singapore bak kwa specialist Lim Chee Guan goes back 80 years
The former Lim Chee Guan stall at 191 New Bridge Road, taken sometime between the 1960s and 1980s. (Photo: Lim Chee Guan)
Like most Chinese parents of the early 20th century, Mr Lim Kay Eng’s folks hoped their son would study to become a doctor in China. But the young native of Xiamen had other plans. Studying was the very thing he loathed most, so he packed his bags and jumped on a boat to Singapore in search of a brighter future.
Like the countless other Chinese migrants to Singapore of the time, Kay Eng took whatever employment he could find. He worked as a plantation helper, a coffee shop assistant and a provision shop assistant. By 1938, he had saved enough money to start his own stall selling titbits and – having learnt the art of preserving meats from his mother and grandmother in China – bak kwa. His pushcart stall was located at the foot of a staircase along Chin Chiew Street or "tau fu kai" as it was better known at the time. Although he did brisk business, that sliver of space was a veritable border between opposing Cantonese and Hokkien gangs who often clashed right by the stall.
To avoid getting caught in the crosshairs, Kay Eng moved his wares to a shophouse along New Bridge Road in 1956, where Lim Chee Guan continues to operate. Today, Lim Chee Guan boasts two other outlets at ION Orchard and People’s Park Complex, as well as its headquarters and production facility in the Ulu Pandan area. With over 100 employees, the business has come a long way from its humble roots.
Rou Gan (肉 干) Bak Kwa
Bak kwa, also known as rou gan (肉干), is a dried savoury sweetmeat which traditionally takes the form of thin square slices and is usually made from pork. Bak kwa and rou gan mean “dried meat” in Hokkien and Mandarin, respectively. It is also sometimes referred to as barbecued pork, dried pork or pork jerky. Bak kwa, which has its origins in China, has become a favourite local snack in Singapore, with its popularity peaking during the Chinese New Year period, as evidenced by the long queues at the branches of famous bak kwa chains.
Bak kwa is closely associated with Chinese New Year in Singapore as it is considered a staple in the new year celebrations, where it is commonly offered to guests during visits or presented as gifts to friends and relatives. In the run-up to the festivities, long queues will form at popular bak kwa outlets, especially those in Chinatown. Instead of being deterred by the long queues, some people even consider the queuing for bak kwa to be a Chinese New Year tradition. The queues are sometimes so long that customers have to wait six hours or more for their bak kwa, and Singaporeans have been known to send their employees or domestic helpers to stand in the queue for them. To prevent their supplies from running out, popular outlets usually impose buying limits on their customers during this period.
The rising prices of bak kwa during the few weeks before Chinese New Year are a common grouse among Singaporeans and some see bak kwa prices as an indicator of inflation in Singapore. In 2007, the preoccupation of Singaporeans with bak kwa prices prompted the Singapore office of Bloomberg News to release a light-hearted Bak Kwa Index which tracked bak kwa prices during the Chinese New Year period by surveying four bak kwa vendors, namely Bee Cheng Hiang, Fragrance Foodstuff, Lim Chee Guan and Kim Hock Guan.
