What is Bakwah?

What is Bakwah?

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. 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.

How is Bakwa made?

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.

How do you eat Bakwa?

1. 5 Great Ways to eat Bak Kwa.
2. 5 Great Ways to Snack With Bak Kwa.
3. Add as a Protein for Salad Nachos.
4. Sprinkled over Deviled Eggs.
5. Savory Pizza Topping.
6. Make a Snack Sandwich.
7. Perfect Topping on Congee.

Why is Bakkwa red?

Bak Kwa ranges in appearance from brown to red, depending on the colouring additives contained in the meat. The auspicious red of the meat and packaging helps to make this ubiquitous Chinese New Year food worthy of being presented to relatives and business associates alike.

How many slices is 1kg bak kwa?

The thickness of the bak kwa is very much up to you. I find 280g per tray gives a thickness of about 0.4cm, which makes for fairly meaty slices. Using 1kg of minced pork will yield three and a half trays of bak kwa. Each tray of bak kwa can be sliced into about 15 pieces of 7cm by 8cm each.

Is bak kwa healthy?

However, there are no particular foods that are absolutely healthy or unhealthy. It’s all about portion size control. Bak kwa is generally high in energy, fat and sugar. Two slices of bak kwa contain about 600kcal of energy or comparable amount of energy to a plate of chicken rice.

Why do people eat bak kwa?

The dialect name Bak Kwa when translated means dried meat. The barbecued pork jerky’s deep red colour is considered auspicious in Chinese tradition, symbolising good luck and believed to ward off negative energies.

Why is bak kwa so expensive?

Bak Kwa Are Perishable Goods Most of the items cannot be kept for long and have to be consumed within a month of purchase. That is why consumers have no choice but to buy it during peak season, even at a higher price. Prices of goods with longer shelf life are less susceptible to price hikes.

Who invented bak kwa?

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 …

Where can I buy bak kwa in Australia?

If you can’t make it to Singapore, you can try bak kwa in Australia. In Sydney you can buy bak kwa grilled daily at Singapore Famous BBQ Pork in Chinatown. Or order it online at Wan Li Xiang and have it delivered to your door, anywhere in Australia. You won’t even have to queue!

Which is the best bak kwa?

Whether you’re looking for some Bak Kwa for Chinese New Year or otherwise, here are the Top 10 Bak Kwa Shops in Singapore!

• 1) Xishibakkwa 西施肉干食品
• 2) Golden Gourmet.
• 3) Bee Cheng Hiang 美珍香
• 4) New Peng Hiang 新品香
• 5) Kim Joo Guan.
• 6) Sang Hock Guan Dried & Minced Pork.
• 7) Kim Peng Hiang BBQ Pork.
• 8) Peng Guan.

Can you freeze bak kwa?

The experts don’t advise you to chill the Bak Kwa and reheat it as it would lose its juices and turn dry. Now, a good Bak Kwa should be made from chilled pork, not frozen and never buy the minced version. It should be sliced meat as it retains the meat fibres which translates to better flavour when you chew on it.