And the price of bak kwa this year is...

[aurvandil]

i remember that we can't bring bak kwa over from Malaysia? custom guys will stop.
something about disposing of it or fine etc.

That's for control price items like sugar and oil. There shouldn't be a prob if you are bringing in a small amount for personal consumption.

 

[patrickv]

That's for control price items like sugar and oil. There shouldn't be a prob if you are bringing in a small amount for personal consumption.

sorry pork and bak kwa definitely not allowed. other items such as sugar and oil in small qty ok.

 

[aurvandil]

sorry pork and bak kwa definitely not allowed. other items such as sugar and oil in small qty ok.

My side or Sg side? Is this a hold over from the swine flu outbreak?

 

[aurvandil]

For the benefit of those who refuse to be ripped off and who don't want to go into the dangerous business of smuggling bak kwa, the following is a simple bak kwa receipe. The red wine dreg is for colouring. You can safely replace it with the red food colouring available at the bakery section. All other ingredients easily available at NTUC.

Here's the Recipe:

Ingredients
450g minced meat, with some fats (The fats makes the bak kwa taste better – trust me)

Seasoning:
1½ Tbsp Fish Sauce
½ Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1½ Tbsp Hua Tiao Jiu
¼ Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Honey
1 Tsp Red Wine Dreg/红糟

Method:
1. In a big bowl, add the seasoning to the minced meat.

2. Stir the mixture with a pair of Chopsticks in one direction, until minced meat becomes like glue.

3. Put some (or all, depending on the size of your oven and baking tray) gluey minced meat on a baking paper (You can buy this paper in the supermarket. It's used to line the baking tin for baking cookies.). Cover the meat with a big cling wrap or plastic sheet and use a rolling pin to roll the meat to about 2mm thick.

4. Remove the plastic sheet and put the entire baking paper with the minced meat on a baking tray.

Baking (This is the tricky part):
1. Bake in preheated oven at 125 deg Celsius for 20 minutes.

2. Then increase the temperature to 180 deg Celsius and bake for about 15 minutes.

3. Remove the baking tray from the oven and let the meat cool for about 5 minutes.

4. Flip the meat over onto a fresh baking paper and bake for another 5-10 minutes at 180 deg Celsius.

5. Cool the bak kwa and cut into pieces* before storing in air-tight container.

 

[patrickv]

My side or Sg side? Is this a hold over from the swine flu outbreak?

sg side. mat side dun care. sg side dun allow pork and bak kwa.

 

[aurvandil]

sg side. mat side dun care. sg side dun allow pork and bak kwa.

Thanks. Wasn't aware of this as I don't eat bak kwa.

Since it has been elevated to the status of a luxury food this CNY, maybe I will make some and give to friends and relatives.

 

[jw5]

Fav side dish for beer still lor duck wing and duck breast...

Do you eat the duck neck and duck tongue as well?
There are now quite a number of stalls selling these in SG.

 

[jw5]

its ironic....we can eat bak kwas at 50% off for 300+ days a year but hell,...people always choose these 10+ days to queue and pay exorbitant prices...

Never understood why people must eat bak kwa during CNY.
Is it because it's red in colour and supposed to bring luck?

 

[soikee]

Should BOYCOTT the damn Bak Kwa!
1. its bloody oily
2. its really bad for Health
3. after CNY to medical check up every thing goes uP!!
4. The company bosses laughing to the bank u fools are giving so much $$$
for the stupid bak kwa! And Q'ing Q'ing
5. Eating those those black burn (carbon) will cause CANCER
6. Eating Bak KWa cause more harm than Good!
7. some reasons to add.......continue here

Only fools eat that oily and carcinogenic shits.

It's mostly imported from China and it could well be dog's meat plus fats coated with heaps of sugar & red dye.

 

[tonychat]

If these sinkies turn vegetarian, they will not need to waste so much money eating barbecue carcass.

 

[Ramseth]

Never understood why people must eat bak kwa during CNY.
Is it because it's red in colour and supposed to bring luck?

I heard a version of folklore that bakkwa became heavily in demand in olden-day China without refrigeration because it's storable for weeks. There and then, CNY last festivities last half a month. Other storables to stock up for CNY included the various dried and preserved stuffs, but bakkwa has always been at a premium. The freshest meats and foods were always served within the eve and the first couple of days. Of course, in the farms and villages, the folks did keep livestocks that could be slaughtered and served fresh. But without regfrigeration, these must be finished whole within first and second days, i.e. only slaughter when there's a feast was going on.

 

[Tristan]

I heard a version of folklore that bakkwa became heavily in demand in olden-day China without refrigeration because it's storable for weeks. There and then, CNY last festivities last half a month. Other storables to stock up for CNY included the various dried and preserved stuffs, but bakkwa has always been at a premium. The freshest meats and foods were always served within the eve and the first couple of days. Of course, in the farms and villages, the folks did keep livestocks that could be slaughtered and served fresh. But without regfrigeration, these must be finished whole within first and second days, i.e. only slaughter when there's a feast was going on.

I think bak kwa is a local delicacy. So is lo hei. My friends in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and other places have never heard of lo hei.

 

[Ramseth]

I think bak kwa is a local delicacy. So is lo hei. My friends in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and other places have never heard of lo hei.

Then I guess it must be one of those rural legends. :o

 

[jw5]

I heard a version of folklore that bakkwa became heavily in demand in olden-day China without refrigeration because it's storable for weeks. There and then, CNY last festivities last half a month. Other storables to stock up for CNY included the various dried and preserved stuffs, but bakkwa has always been at a premium. The freshest meats and foods were always served within the eve and the first couple of days. Of course, in the farms and villages, the folks did keep livestocks that could be slaughtered and served fresh. But without regfrigeration, these must be finished whole within first and second days, i.e. only slaughter when there's a feast was going on.

Even if that was the reason then, it does not explain what's the reason now.
Surely it can't be due to tradition.
It could be that it has almost become a symbol of wealth, luck and prosperity to eat bak kwa during CNY.

 

[nayr69sg]

For the benefit of those who refuse to be ripped off and who don't want to go into the dangerous business of smuggling bak kwa, the following is a simple bak kwa receipe. The red wine dreg is for colouring. You can safely replace it with the red food colouring available at the bakery section. All other ingredients easily available at NTUC.

Here's the Recipe:

Ingredients
450g minced meat, with some fats (The fats makes the bak kwa taste better – trust me)

Seasoning:
1½ Tbsp Fish Sauce
½ Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1½ Tbsp Hua Tiao Jiu
¼ Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Honey
1 Tsp Red Wine Dreg/红糟

Method:
1. In a big bowl, add the seasoning to the minced meat.

2. Stir the mixture with a pair of Chopsticks in one direction, until minced meat becomes like glue.

3. Put some (or all, depending on the size of your oven and baking tray) gluey minced meat on a baking paper (You can buy this paper in the supermarket. It's used to line the baking tin for baking cookies.). Cover the meat with a big cling wrap or plastic sheet and use a rolling pin to roll the meat to about 2mm thick.

4. Remove the plastic sheet and put the entire baking paper with the minced meat on a baking tray.

Baking (This is the tricky part):
1. Bake in preheated oven at 125 deg Celsius for 20 minutes.

2. Then increase the temperature to 180 deg Celsius and bake for about 15 minutes.

3. Remove the baking tray from the oven and let the meat cool for about 5 minutes.

4. Flip the meat over onto a fresh baking paper and bake for another 5-10 minutes at 180 deg Celsius.

5. Cool the bak kwa and cut into pieces* before storing in air-tight container.

You obviously have not tried to make Bak Kwa with that recipe. The ingredients are wrong. It will taste funny. Some of the ingredients shouldn't be there and some others should be added if you want the Singapore Bak Kwa style. Also the "bak kwa" with that recipe will have the texture more akin to leather or those dried beancurd you get in Yong Tau Fu. Can you guess where the secret in getting the texture (with minced meat) comes from?

And........where got bak kwa can just bake no need to barbecue?

I have been toying with the idea about setting up my bak kwa shop in Edmonton. Maybe it is time I take a serious look into it.

 

[Ramseth]

Bakkwa is dried first, then roasted. In olden days when people weren't that affluent, minced pork was commonly used. Nowadays, mostly are full piece sliced pork. The difference is like between luncheon meat and ham.

 

[silverfox@]

You obviously have not tried to make Bak Kwa with that recipe. The ingredients are wrong. It will taste funny. Some of the ingredients shouldn't be there and some others should be added if you want the Singapore Bak Kwa style. Also the "bak kwa" with that recipe will have the texture more akin to leather or those dried beancurd you get in Yong Tau Fu. Can you guess where the secret in getting the texture (with minced meat) comes from?

And........where got bak kwa can just bake no need to barbecue?

I have been toying with the idea about setting up my bak kwa shop in Edmonton. Maybe it is time I take a serious look into it.

I don't think Bak Kwa is so simple to make as what was said in that recipe. Like what the name says, got to dry it and roast.

 

[nayr69sg]

I don't think Bak Kwa is so simple to make as what was said in that recipe. Like what the name says, got to dry it and roast.

Yup. Principle is there. The devil is in the details. Anyway it took me a long time and many failures. But in the end I did it. During CNY 2010, I gave packets of my bak kwa to friends and relatives and they didn't even realize it was homemade! It was a great feeling. But it was tough making that 50kg of bak kwa at home man. And in time for CNY some more! Real hard work!

 

[nayr69sg]

*deleted**deleted**deleted**deleted*

 

[johnny333]

i remember that we can't bring bak kwa over from Malaysia? custom guys will stop.
something about disposing of it or fine etc.

I bought 2kg for some Canadian friends, but had to throw it away at San Francisco, where I transited on the way to Canada. Alot of foods are not permitted into the US & Canada because of the fear of parasites.

It was really a waste. I wish I had thought of eaten it, instead of throwing it away