I was at my neighbourhood fruit & vegetable sundry shop the other day looking for some fruits that I could buy.
The local ones did not tickle my fancy and there wasn’t much left of the imported ones, just some red grapes plus a few kiwi fruits and avocadoes – I still have the latter two in my fridge. The lady boss said I would have to wait till the next shipment – I sure hope we are spared of the problem with the shipping and transportation that is causing a shortage worldwide, leaving the shelves at the supermarkets empty!
Anyway, while I was in the shop, my attention was attracted to this packet of bak kua (barbecued meat slices)…
…by its bright red colour.
Unfortunately, except for a sprinkling of a few Mandarin characters, there wasn’t much else on the packet so I had to ask the lady boss for more information about it. Of course, she said it was very nice and was selling well…and she did tell me that it was homemade by someone in Kuching.
In the end, I decided to just buy a packet to try and upon reaching home, I took it all out and was going to cut the slices into little squares to store in a Nescafe bottle to enjoy slowly. However, I found that they were all individually vacuum-packed…
…so I decided to just open one…
…first to try.
It was very nice, not too sweet like some and not too hard either. Lately, I have been having problems with my teeth and gums especially when eating something hard like meat that is a bit tough but no, I was fine with this bak kua. Another thing that I liked was how it was easy to open to take it out – I had some difficulty with some brands that required a bit of heating up in a microwave or whatever. Those were such a nuisance and anyway, I do not have one!
I did not feel a thing when I paid for it, RM45.00 for a packet but when I took everything out and counted…OUCH!!! There were only 9 slices inside, RM5 EACH!!! I thought that was VERY expensive!!! I never counted the number of slices in a packet of those celebrated ones from KL or Singapore so I cannot make a comparison but this much I can say – those do not come cheap either. No wonder I see everybody making their own these days, especially come Chinese New Year!
It was quite a big slice though, too big for one sandwich but cutting it into smaller pieces, it would be just nice for 6 mini-sandwiches. I tried it with cheese and also with egg but no, I did not think I enjoyed those. I loved it plain in buttered toast, that’s all.
However, even though I did like it, I don’t think I shall be buying it again or at least, not this soon. In the meantime, I hope to drop by this pork shop to buy this…
…and try.
This is one of their outlets here, the one not far from my house, that pork shop franchise that has branches all over the state. They claim that they export their meat to Singapore and of course, that speaks volumes of the quality of what they sell – that little red dot is very strict about what they import, food, in particular. Let me finish this one that I’ve bought first!
SWEE HUNG (2.316161, 111.840441) is located along Jalan Ruby, in the block of shops on the right – next to a hair salon at the extreme end…and on the other end, to the left is the Kim Won Chinese Medical Store and Mini-supermarket.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Yes, bak kwa don’t come in cheap… even when I make them myself, it is still not cheap… yes, I also like softer ones nowadays.. our teeth is definitely not as tough anymore… hahahaha…
Oh? You make your own too? That’s nice! Can make some over there – I am sure bak kua is not so easy to come by in the US. The sliced ones are usually harder – my missus likes those. I’d go for the ones made using minced meat, not so hard and tough.
Bak kwa is everyone’s favourite I would say. I like this brand Tong Soon, our local homemade ones. Very nice and juicy. The prices for this Tong Soon brand ranges from RM43-47 for 500gm depending on whether pork, chicken or ham slices. The most is one packet is around 7-8pcs. too depending on the thickness of the slice. I know some people love those China ones that comes in tin, very hard and dry like tree bark, definitely a big NO for me.
Oh? You know this brand? Tong Soon? Yes, it’s very nice and fresh and not hard.
Not like those from West Malaysia, some rather dry and hard and those from the outlets in Kuching were terrible!!! We have Loong Kee here but I hear they are made in Sibu, nice…but not cheap either. My cousin in Australia just told me, over AUD8.00 (around RM24.00) for TWO pieces there. Ciak kim!!! LOL!!!
Haven’t seen any from China here.
We have one shop nearby that has good bak kwa but not cheap. I have been making my own bak kwa for a few years for CNY or whenever I wanted to enjoy some. Home made ones are less expensive than store bought ones and we can reduce the sugar. I too prefer the softer bak kwa made from minced meat. I think it will be more expensive this coming CNY because prices of foodstuffs have increased.
Yes, I would agree with you. Everything getting more expensive. Eggs RM12 a tray, next round already RM12.50, up and up and up!!!
I like own made, no preservatives, fresher. The commercial ones, dunno how long already and how much preservatives added so can keep so long…and yes, can reduce the sugar too!!!
I miss rou gan (bak kua) don’t know why we don’t usually call it bak kua like you folks too.
I think bak kua is Hokkien, dunno what dialect rou gan is.
I’m not a fan of anything that’s too processed.
Especially when the expiry date is a year away! Imagine all the preservatives. Read somewhere that when one eats too much of such things, when he dies, there is no need to embalm him, already very well-preserved. LOL!!!
Wow…RM5 each is really expensive. I thought you hurt your teeth….but it was your wallet. LOL 😀
Thank goodness it wasn’t hard, very nice…unlike some that we get from your side. Usually it is the sliced ones that are tough/hard. My missus prefers those. My old teeth will not be able to manage anymore.
I know what you mean about produce in stores lately. It hasn’t looked very appealing! I hope that changes soon!
Ok now, the new stock has arrived…but our imported fruits are refrigerated, not fresh and people say they spray chemicals to prevent over-ripening en route. Must wash well before eating. Best to eat those with skin and the skin is not eaten.