A friend of mine recently told me that she made some bak kwa herself, as part of a food science project for school. Intriguing indeed as bak kwa is not something most of us would imagine making in our kitchen. It can even be a favourable alternative for those keen on tightening their belts in this coming New Year.

Bak kwa is roasted pork with a consistency similar to jerky and has a savoury sweet taste. It originated from the Fujian province in Ancient China and was created when leftover meats were preserved by slicing the meat into thin sheets and marinating them with sugar and spices, The slices were then air-dried and cooked over a hot plate. In modern times, it is a popular gift to exchange between friends and relatives during festive occasions like weddings and Chinese New Year.

With the Year of the Dragon looming over us, bak kwa is essential and its demand rises sharply during this time. The colour red is an auspicious colour to the Chinese, so bak kwa with its reddish hue is highly favoured.

Bak kwa is not difficult to make per se, so why not surprise your friends and relatives with some homemade bak kwa? The taste will be similar to what you get in stores, however what makes this homemade bak kwa different from store-bought ones is the smokiness in the latter. The only way to have the same smoky taste is with the use of a charcoal grill. However, this recipe offers a more fuss-free way of making this auspicious snack. What makes each brand of bak kwa different from another is a secret ingredient. We suspect it involves Nan Ru (red fermented beancurd), however this lends an added saltiness to the palate which is not everyone’s cup of tea. One way to make the homemade bak kwa more crispy is to pop it into the toaster oven for 3 minutes before consumption. Enjoy!

Homemade Bak Kwa

Ingredients (results in 10 rectangular pieces, each 5cmx7cm)

3tbsp of fish sauce Half a tbsp of light soy sauce Half a tbsp of oyster sauce 230g of minced pork 70g of sugar 1 drop of red food colouring

Mix all the sauces and sugar into a bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the minced pork into the bowl and marinate the meat well. Add the red food colouring. Leave the marinated meat for at least two hours. You can choose to leave it overnight in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 120C for 20 minutes. Grease the baking tray or wrap it with aluminum foil.

Use a tablespoon to spread the marinated minced pork thinly (no thicker than 0.5cm) over the tray. Place the tray into the oven set at 150C for one hour. Use the grilling function in your oven. After half an hour has passed, the meat would be semi-cooked. Take out the tray from the oven and using a tablespoon spoon, cut the meat into rectangles. Then flip the meat over to the other side and pop the tray back into the oven. Once the full hour passes, the bak kwa is done. You can eat it immediately, but we suggest, for extra crunch, put it into the toaster oven for 3 minutes before consumption.