Bak Kut Teh

This pork rib soup, simmered for hours in a complex broth of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, and pepper, is one of the great contributions of Malaysian Chinese food culture — and the subject of intense rivalry between the clear, peppery Klang style and the darker, more herbal Hokkien version. Eaten with rice, you tiao dough fritters, and strong Chinese tea, it is a meal that rewards a long, unhurried morning.